--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the alternative is to keep all just…" description: "\"If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/henry-david-thoreau-20_alternatives_if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-m_624147.jpg" --- # If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or… ![“If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/henry-david-thoreau-20_alternatives_if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-m_624147.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/henry-david-thoreau-20_alternatives_if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-m_624147.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/henry-david-thoreau-20_alternatives_if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-m_624147.jpg) > “If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If a state must choose between imprisoning all men or ending war and slavery, it will likely choose oppression over freedom. **In simple terms:** Governments may prefer control over liberty. Key Takeaway Question authority that sacrifices freedom. Themes politics ethics freedom Mood critical concerned Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legislation debates - civil rights movements - policy reforms - social activism Key Concepts state power human rights Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate a society values liberty over control? - How can citizens resist oppressive choices? A Different Perspective Complex historical contexts may affect interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-disobedience/) [Disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disobedience/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men In Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-in-prison/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison, the only house in a slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/under-a-government-which-imprisons-any-unjustly-the-true-place-for-a-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-backgammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence. A minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/cast-your-whole-vote-not-a-strip-of-paper-merely-but-your-whole/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If I devote myself to other pursuits and contemplations, I must first see, at least, that I do not pursue them sitting upon another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-i-devote-myself-to-other-pursuits-and-contemplations-i-must-first/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It is not a man's duty, as a matter of course, to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-not-a-man-s-duty-as-a-matter-of-course-to-devote-himself-to-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [That government is best which governs not at all; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-which-governs-not-at-all-and-when-men-are/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/let-your-life-be-a-counter-friction-to-stop-the-machine-what-i-have/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If however the law is so promulgated that it of necessity makes you an agent of injustices against another, then I say to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-however-the-law-is-so-promulgated-that-it-of-necessity-makes-you/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [No: until I want the protection of Massachusetts to be extended to me in some distant Southern port, where my liberty is endangered, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/no-until-i-want-the-protection-of-massachusetts-to-be-extended-to-me/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/let-your-life-be-a-counter-friction-to-stop-the-machine/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-the-injustice-is-part-of-the-necessary-friction-of-the-machine-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name,--if ten honest men only,--ay, if one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-know-this-well-that-if-one-thousand-if-one-hundred-if-ten-men-whom/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resigns his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/must-the-citizen-ever-for-a-moment-or-in-the-least-degree-resigns-his/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/unjust-laws-exist-shall-we-be-content-to-obey-them/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-wise-man-will-not-leave-the-right-to-the-mercy-of-chance-nor-wish/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Alternatives quotes > [I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and so easily obtainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-am-very-sad-that-some-designers-are-still-using-real-fur-when-the/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/) [Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/) > [ \[When asked how it felt to be a female prime minister:\] I don't know: I've never experienced the alternative. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-asked-how-it-felt-to-be-a-female-prime-minister-i-don-t-know-i/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [If one could have a wish, or an alternative life, I would've liked to have been John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/if-one-could-have-a-wish-or-an-alternative-life-i-would-ve-liked-to/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [THE REAL PURPOSE OF HOLOCAUST REVISIONISM IS TO MAKE NATIONAL SOCIALISM AN ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE AGAIN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-covington/the-real-purpose-of-holocaust-revisionism-is-to-make-national/) Harold Covington > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Maximise the alternative forms in which a user might receive a service, and the alternative sources of supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-chipp/maximise-the-alternative-forms-in-which-a-user-might-receive-a/) Don Chipp > [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/) [Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/) > [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-bourriaud/altermodern-is-an-in-progress-redefinition-of-modernity-in-the-era-of/) Nicolas Bourriaud > [If the system exhibits a structure which can be represented by a mathematical equivalent, called a mathematical model, and if the objective can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dantzig/if-the-system-exhibits-a-structure-which-can-be-represented-by-a/) [George Dantzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dantzig/) > [We must commit ourselves to an 'all of the above' energy approach, with a major focus on increasing domestic production and expanding alternatives fuels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-roskam/we-must-commit-ourselves-to-an-all-of-the-above-energy-approach-with/) [Peter Roskam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-roskam/) Browse all 1,463 Alternatives quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-men-in-prison-or-give-up-war/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alternatives" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-men-in-prison-or-give-up-war/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/henry-david-thoreau-20_alternatives_if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-m_624147.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/henry-david-thoreau-20_alternatives_if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-m_624147.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/henry-david-thoreau-20_alternatives_if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-m_624147.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not…” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If the alternative is to keep...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-men-in-prison-or-give-up-war/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-men-in-prison-or-give-up-war/#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 } } ] } ```