--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [A man] finds himself forced by necessity…" description: "\"“[A man] finds himself forced by necessity to borrow money. He knows that he will not be able to repay it, but sees also that nothing will be lent to h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/immanuel-kant-532_debt_a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity_2853471.jpg" --- # \[A man\] finds himself forced by necessity to borrow money… ![“[A man] finds himself forced by necessity to borrow money. He knows that he will not be able to repay it, but sees also that nothing will be lent to him unless he promises stoutly to repay it in definite time. He desires to make this promise, but he has still so much conscience as to ask himself…” quote by Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/immanuel-kant-532_debt_a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity_2853471.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/immanuel-kant-532_debt_a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity_2853471.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/immanuel-kant-532_debt_a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity_2853471.jpg) > ““\[A man\] finds himself forced by necessity to borrow money. He knows that he will not be able to repay it, but sees also that nothing will be lent to him unless he promises stoutly to repay it in definite time. He desires to make this promise, but he has still so much conscience as to ask himself: Is it not unlawful and inconsistent with duty to get out of a difficulty in this way? Suppose, however, that he resolves to do so, then the maxim of his action would be expressed thus: When I think myself in want of money, I will borrow money and promise to repay it, although I know that I never can do so. Now this principle of self-love or of one's own advantage may perhaps be consistent with my whole future welfare; but the question now is, Is it right? I change then the suggestion of self-love into a universal law, and state the question thus: How would it be if my maxim were a universal law? Then I see at once that it could never hold as a universal law of nature, but would necessarily contradict itself. For supposing it to be a universal law that everyone when he thinks himself in a difficulty should be able to promise whatever he pleases, with the purpose of not keeping his promise, the promise itself would become impossible, as well as the end that one might have in view in it, since no one would consider that anything was promised to him, but would ridicule all such statements as vain pretenses.”” [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kant argues that making false promises for personal gain cannot be a universal moral law because it undermines the very concept of promise‑keeping. **In simple terms:** Breaking promises for self‑interest is immoral. Key Takeaway Never promise what you cannot keep. Themes ethics deontology honesty self‑interest universalizability Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - business negotiations - personal finance - legal contracts - political rhetoric - everyday interactions Key Concepts Kantian ethics categorical imperative moral law Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever acceptable to lie for personal survival? - How would society function without trustworthy promises? A Different Perspective If everyone broke promises, trust collapses and promises become meaningless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Law of nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-of-nature/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [“I promise I will repay you.” “Oh yeah?” she asked, looking at him, with his bare feet and plain, dark clothes. “With what?” The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/i-promise-i-will-repay-you-oh-yeah-she-asked-looking-at-him-with-his/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [Usually you're forced to do what necessity demands, and pleasure is a luxury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-connors/usually-you-re-forced-to-do-what-necessity-demands-and-pleasure-is-a/) [Mike Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-connors/) > [Even though Mr. Trump can give his campaign as much of his own money as he wants to, he can't ask other people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/even-though-mr-trump-can-give-his-campaign-as-much-of-his-own-money/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [I've been a politician and so I'm sometimes cynical about what politicians won't do. When I hear a politician say something that makes no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-boesak/i-ve-been-a-politician-and-so-i-m-sometimes-cynical-about-what/) [Allan Boesak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-boesak/) > [The principle we call self-love never seeks anything external for the sake of the thing, but only as a means of happiness or good:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-butler/the-principle-we-call-self-love-never-seeks-anything-external-for-the/) [Joseph Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-butler/) > [How can any Action be meritorious of Praise or Dispraise, Reward or Punishment, when the natural Principle of Self-Love is the only and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-can-any-action-be-meritorious-of-praise-or-dispraise-reward-or/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Poetry, and the principle of Self, of which money is the visible incarnation, are the God and the Mammon of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/poetry-and-the-principle-of-self-of-which-money-is-the-visible/) [Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/) > [My philosophy is based on the principle of self-ownership. You own your life. To deny this is to imply that another person has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-schoolland/my-philosophy-is-based-on-the-principle-of-self-ownership-you-own/) [Ken Schoolland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-schoolland/) > [The most important principle for self discovery and to taste success is rather than changing other's attitude, change your own. And always remember, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-shukla/the-most-important-principle-for-self-discovery-and-to-taste-success/) [Abhishek Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-shukla/) > [“Let the beggar speak for himself. He's in earnest. Haven't we been bred on the principle of self-sacrifice, till we've come to think a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-capes/let-the-beggar-speak-for-himself-he-s-in-earnest-haven-t-we-been-bred/) [Bernard Capes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-capes/) > [The basis of self-ownership is the fact that each person has direct control over the scarce resource of his body and therefore has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-kinsella/the-basis-of-self-ownership-is-the-fact-that-each-person-has-direct/) [Stephan Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-kinsella/) > [The active, insatiate principle of self-love can alone supply the arts of life and the wages of industry; and as soon as civil government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-active-insatiate-principle-of-self-love-can-alone-supply-the-arts/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [I often wish for the end of the wretched remnant of my life; and that wish is a rational one; but then the innate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/i-often-wish-for-the-end-of-the-wretched-remnant-of-my-life-and-that/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [The principle of self defense is an American tradition that began at Lexington and Concord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-williams/the-principle-of-self-defense-is-an-american-tradition-that-began-at/) [Robert F. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-williams/) > [The first principle of self-love is that you are not for sale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-first-principle-of-self-love-is-that-you-are-not-for-sale/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) ## More by Immanuel Kant > [Even if a civil society were to be dissolved by the consent of all its members (e.g., if a people inhabiting an island decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/even-if-a-civil-society-were-to-be-dissolved-by-the-consent-of-all/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [How then is perfection to be sought? Wherein lies our hope? In education, and in nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/how-then-is-perfection-to-be-sought-wherein-lies-our-hope-in/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Heaven has given human beings three things to balance the odds of life: hope, sleep, and laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/heaven-has-given-human-beings-three-things-to-balance-the-odds-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Beauty presents an indeterminate concept of Understanding, the sublime an indeterminate concept of Reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/beauty-presents-an-indeterminate-concept-of-understanding-the-sublime/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Philosophical knowledge is the knowledge gained by reason from concepts ; mathematical knowledge is the knowledge gained by reason from the construction of concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/philosophical-knowledge-is-the-knowledge-gained-by-reason-from/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [A categorical imperative would be one which represented an action as objectively necessary in itself, without reference to any other purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-categorical-imperative-would-be-one-which-represented-an-action-as/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [When I could have used a wife, I could not support one; and when I could support one, I no longer needed any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/when-i-could-have-used-a-wife-i-could-not-support-one-and-when-i/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Enlightenment is the liberation of man from his self-caused state of minority... Supere aude! Dare to use your own understanding!is thus the motto of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/enlightenment-is-the-liberation-of-man-from-his-self-caused-state-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [The ideal of the supreme being is nothing but a regulative principle of reason which directs us to look upon all connection in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-ideal-of-the-supreme-being-is-nothing-but-a-regulative-principle/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [“Jeg skal alltid handle slik at den regelen jeg handler etter kunne gjelde som allmenn lov.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/jeg-skal-alltid-handle-slik-at-den-regelen-jeg-handler-etter-kunne/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Deaths, births, and marriages, considering how much they are separately dependent on the freedom of the human will, should seem to be subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/deaths-births-and-marriages-considering-how-much-they-are-separately/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [It is precisely in knowing its limits that philosophy consists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/it-is-precisely-in-knowing-its-limits-that-philosophy-consists/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [A society that is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has taken somebody else’s life is simply immoral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-society-that-is-not-willing-to-demand-a-life-of-somebody-who-has/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [. . . as to moral feeling, this supposed special sense, the appeal to it is indeed superficial when those who cannot think believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/as-to-moral-feeling-this-supposed-special-sense-the-appeal-to-it-is/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Explore all 476 Immanuel Kant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) ## More Debt quotes > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Praise will come to those whose kindness leaves you without debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/praise-will-come-to-those-whose-kindness-leaves-you-without-debt/) [Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/) > [“Most people, given more money, only get into more debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/most-people-given-more-money-only-get-into-more-debt/) [Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/) > [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [“The human eye is restricted to see the useen, because there’s a price to be paid to the rulers of this image and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-human-eye-is-restricted-to-see-the-useen-because-there-s-a-price/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-a-well-settled-principle-of-the-international-code-that-where/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ. It is not our tears, but His blood; it is not our sighs, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/our-sins-are-debts-that-none-can-pay-but-christ-it-is-not-our-tears/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) Browse all 2,345 Debt quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“[A man] finds himself forced by necessity to borrow money. He knows that he will not be able to repay it, but sees also that nothing will be lent to him unless he promises stoutly to repay it in definite time. He desires to make this promise, but he has still so much conscience as to ask himself: Is it not unlawful and inconsistent with duty to get out of a difficulty in this way? Suppose, however, that he resolves to do so, then the maxim of his action would be expressed thus: When I think myself in want of money, I will borrow money and promise to repay it, although I know that I never can do so. Now this principle of self-love or of one's own advantage may perhaps be consistent with my whole future welfare; but the question now is, Is it right? I change then the suggestion of self-love into a universal law, and state the question thus: How would it be if my maxim were a universal law? Then I see at once that it could never hold as a universal law of nature, but would necessarily contradict itself. For supposing it to be a universal law that everyone when he thinks himself in a difficulty should be able to promise whatever he pleases, with the purpose of not keeping his promise, the promise itself would become impossible, as well as the end that one might have in view in it, since no one would consider that anything was promised to him, but would ridicule all such statements as vain pretenses.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Immanuel Kant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity-to-borrow-money-he-knows-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Debt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity-to-borrow-money-he-knows-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/immanuel-kant-532_debt_a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity_2853471.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/immanuel-kant-532_debt_a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity_2853471.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/immanuel-kant-532_debt_a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity_2853471.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[A man] finds himself forced by necessity to borrow money. He knows that he will not be able to repay it…” — Immanuel Kant", "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": "Immanuel Kant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“[A man] finds himself forced by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity-to-borrow-money-he-knows-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-man-finds-himself-forced-by-necessity-to-borrow-money-he-knows-that/#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 } } ] } ```