--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because politics rests on an irreducible…" description: "\"Because politics rests on an irreducible measure of coercion, it can never become a perfect realm of perfect love and justice.\" — Christopher Lasch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/christopher-lasch-8262_coercion_because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible_2009104.jpg" --- # Because politics rests on an irreducible measure of… ![“Because politics rests on an irreducible measure of coercion, it can never become a perfect realm of perfect love and justice.” quote by Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/christopher-lasch-8262_coercion_because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible_2009104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/christopher-lasch-8262_coercion_because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible_2009104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/christopher-lasch-8262_coercion_because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible_2009104.jpg) > “Because politics rests on an irreducible measure of coercion, it can never become a perfect realm of perfect love and justice.” [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politics inevitably involves coercion, preventing it from achieving pure love and justice. **In simple terms:** Politics can’t be perfectly loving due to coercion. Key Takeaway Accept politics’ limits; seek reforms. Themes politics power ethics justice Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - activism - law reform - community organizing Key Concepts coercion idealism realism Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance power with compassion? - What reforms reduce coercion? A Different Perspective Idealistic visions may overlook practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coercion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion/) [Coercion Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion-perfect-3578670/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Measure Coercion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measure-coercion-2205738/) [Owners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owners/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Perfect love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-love/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Rests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-rests-3578671/) [Realms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realms/) ## Related quotes > [All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [So what is government?... Very simply, it is an agency of coercion. Of course, there are other agencies of coercion - such as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/so-what-is-government-very-simply-it-is-an-agency-of-coercion-of/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [The state is the only institution entitled to apply coercion and compulsion and to inflict harm upon individuals. This tremendous power cannot be abandoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-state-is-the-only-institution-entitled-to-apply-coercion-and/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing," Ann liked to say--it was a favourite apologia, indeed, for many of her misdemeanours. "There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/there-are-always-a-dozen-reasons-for-doing-nothing-ann-liked-to-say/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [To say that we mutually agree to coercion is not to say that we are required to enjoy it, or even to pretend we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hardin/to-say-that-we-mutually-agree-to-coercion-is-not-to-say-that-we-are/) [Garrett Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hardin/) > [The idea of painless, nonthreatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence. If you think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/the-idea-of-painless-nonthreatening-coercion-is-an-illusion-fear-is/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“If you require force to promote your ideal, there is something wrong with your ideal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jsb-morse/if-you-require-force-to-promote-your-ideal-there-is-something-wrong/) [JSB Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jsb-morse/) > [“Men are moral beings in their untrammelled nature. If constraint and coercion can once be removed they will be happy and if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/men-are-moral-beings-in-their-untrammelled-nature-if-constraint-and/) [Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [There’s one thing that’s been 'learned' maybe from Tunisia and Egypt that I think is a mistake. And that is that the existing ruler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sharp/there-s-one-thing-that-s-been-learned-maybe-from-tunisia-and-egypt/) [Gene Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sharp/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [“Therapy requires a collaborative working relationship in which both partners act on the basis of their implicit confidence in the value and efficacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lewis-herman/therapy-requires-a-collaborative-working-relationship-in-which-both/) [Judith Lewis Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lewis-herman/) > [“Love is not coercion, and the state is only an agent of coercion. It has no other function and can work no other way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mcdurmon/love-is-not-coercion-and-the-state-is-only-an-agent-of-coercion-it/) [Joel McDurmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mcdurmon/) > [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) ## More by Christopher Lasch > [The news appeals to the same jaded appetite that makes a child tire of a toy as soon as it becomes familiar and demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/the-news-appeals-to-the-same-jaded-appetite-that-makes-a-child-tire/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Most women are pragmatists who have allowed extremists on the left and right to manipulate the family issue for their own purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/most-women-are-pragmatists-who-have-allowed-extremists-on-the-left/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [“Members of the educated elite upheld open-mindedness as the supreme political virtue but refused to debate their own idea of the good life, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/members-of-the-educated-elite-upheld-open-mindedness-as-the-supreme/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Neoclassical economics insists that advertising cannot force consumers to buy anything they don't already want to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/neoclassical-economics-insists-that-advertising-cannot-force/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [It is the logic of consumerism that undermines the values of loyalty and permanence and promotes a different set of values that is destructive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/it-is-the-logic-of-consumerism-that-undermines-the-values-of-loyalty/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [It is a tribute to the peculiar horror of contemporary life that it makes the worst features of earlier times -- the stupefaction of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/it-is-a-tribute-to-the-peculiar-horror-of-contemporary-life-that-it/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Relentless improvement of the product and upgrading of consumer tastes are the heart of mass merchandising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/relentless-improvement-of-the-product-and-upgrading-of-consumer/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [The model of ownership, in a society organized round mass consumption, is addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/the-model-of-ownership-in-a-society-organized-round-mass-consumption/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [We demand too much of life, too little of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/we-demand-too-much-of-life-too-little-of-ourselves/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [We live in a historical period characterized by a sharp discrepancy between the intellectual development of man... and his mental-emotional development, which has left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/we-live-in-a-historical-period-characterized-by-a-sharp-discrepancy/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [The intellectual debility of contemporary conservatism is indicated by its silence on all important matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/the-intellectual-debility-of-contemporary-conservatism-is-indicated/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Ostensibly rigorous and realistic, contemporary conservatism is an ideology of denial. Its symbol is a smile button.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/ostensibly-rigorous-and-realistic-contemporary-conservatism-is-an/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Adherents of the new religious right reject the separation of politics and religion, but they bring no spiritual insights to politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/adherents-of-the-new-religious-right-reject-the-separation-of/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Today Americans are overcome not by the sense of endless possibility but by the banality of the social order they have erected against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/today-americans-are-overcome-not-by-the-sense-of-endless-possibility/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Propaganda in the ordinary sense of the term plays a less important part in a consumer society, where people greet all official pronouncements with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/propaganda-in-the-ordinary-sense-of-the-term-plays-a-less-important/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) [Explore all 82 Christopher Lasch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) ## More Coercion quotes > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“Love is not coercion, and the state is only an agent of coercion. It has no other function and can work no other way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mcdurmon/love-is-not-coercion-and-the-state-is-only-an-agent-of-coercion-it/) [Joel McDurmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mcdurmon/) > [“Therapy requires a collaborative working relationship in which both partners act on the basis of their implicit confidence in the value and efficacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lewis-herman/therapy-requires-a-collaborative-working-relationship-in-which-both/) [Judith Lewis Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lewis-herman/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [There’s one thing that’s been 'learned' maybe from Tunisia and Egypt that I think is a mistake. And that is that the existing ruler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sharp/there-s-one-thing-that-s-been-learned-maybe-from-tunisia-and-egypt/) [Gene Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sharp/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“Men are moral beings in their untrammelled nature. If constraint and coercion can once be removed they will be happy and if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/men-are-moral-beings-in-their-untrammelled-nature-if-constraint-and/) [Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/) > [“If you require force to promote your ideal, there is something wrong with your ideal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jsb-morse/if-you-require-force-to-promote-your-ideal-there-is-something-wrong/) [JSB Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jsb-morse/) > [The idea of painless, nonthreatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence. If you think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/the-idea-of-painless-nonthreatening-coercion-is-an-illusion-fear-is/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [To say that we mutually agree to coercion is not to say that we are required to enjoy it, or even to pretend we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hardin/to-say-that-we-mutually-agree-to-coercion-is-not-to-say-that-we-are/) [Garrett Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hardin/) > [“There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing," Ann liked to say--it was a favourite apologia, indeed, for many of her misdemeanours. "There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/there-are-always-a-dozen-reasons-for-doing-nothing-ann-liked-to-say/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The state is the only institution entitled to apply coercion and compulsion and to inflict harm upon individuals. This tremendous power cannot be abandoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-state-is-the-only-institution-entitled-to-apply-coercion-and/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [So what is government?... Very simply, it is an agency of coercion. Of course, there are other agencies of coercion - such as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/so-what-is-government-very-simply-it-is-an-agency-of-coercion-of/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [“Coercing attitude drains your strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/coercing-attitude-drains-your-strength/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) [Browse all 310 Coercion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because politics rests on an irreducible measure of coercion, it can never become a perfect realm of perfect love and justice.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Lasch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible-measure-of-coercion-it-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coercion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible-measure-of-coercion-it-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/christopher-lasch-8262_coercion_because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible_2009104.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/christopher-lasch-8262_coercion_because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible_2009104.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/christopher-lasch-8262_coercion_because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible_2009104.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because politics rests on an irreducible measure of coercion, it can never become a perfect realm of perfect…” — Christopher Lasch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Lasch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Because politics rests on an irreducible...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible-measure-of-coercion-it-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible-measure-of-coercion-it-can/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```