--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A whole army, though they can neither…" description: "\"A whole army, though they can neither write nor read, are not afraid of a platform... therefore a whole army is afraid of one man.\" — James Harrington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-harrington-47852_army_a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-wri_1627018.png" --- # A whole army, though they can neither write nor read, are… ![“A whole army, though they can neither write nor read, are not afraid of a platform... therefore a whole army is afraid of one man.” quote by James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-harrington-47852_army_a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-wri_1627018.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-harrington-47852_army_a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-wri_1627018.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-harrington-47852_army_a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-wri_1627018.png) > “A whole army, though they can neither write nor read, are not afraid of a platform... therefore a whole army is afraid of one man.” [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A populace may fear a single powerful individual, even if they lack basic literacy. **In simple terms:** People fear powerful leaders despite ignorance. Key Takeaway Question authority and educate. Themes power fear literacy Mood critical skeptical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political movements - education reforms - media influence Key Concepts political theory mass psychology leadership Questions to Reflect On - What makes a single person seem threatening? - How can education reduce fear of authority? A Different Perspective Fear can be manipulated by propaganda. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-man-348642/) [Afraid Platform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-platform-348644/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Army Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army-afraid-348641/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Not afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-afraid/) [One man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-man/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Platform Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platform-army-348643/) [Platforms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platforms/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [A whole army, though they can neither write nor read, are not afraid of a platform, which they know is but earth or stone;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-write-nor-read-are-not-afraid-of/) [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) > [Gay people can't be proud of the country and want to defend it too. What's the army afraid is going to happen if gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/gay-people-can-t-be-proud-of-the-country-and-want-to-defend-it-too/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [Nothing will stop us. The road to the stars is steep and dangerous. But we're not afraid . . . Space flights can't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-gagarin/nothing-will-stop-us-the-road-to-the-stars-is-steep-and-dangerous-but/) [Yuri Gagarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-gagarin/) > [I'm afraid this man will kill me some day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-brown-simpson/i-m-afraid-this-man-will-kill-me-some-day/) [Nicole Brown Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-brown-simpson/) > [My father had no fear. He wasn't afraid of any man on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohan-marley/my-father-had-no-fear-he-wasn-t-afraid-of-any-man-on-earth/) [Rohan Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohan-marley/) > [I have Georges St-Pierre out here telling me 'you really think I'm afraid of you, man?' and I'm like you should be, bro. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-diaz/i-have-georges-st-pierre-out-here-telling-me-you-really-think-i-m/) [Nick Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-diaz/) > [“I’d be afraid of a man with two shadows, because that man is my clone, and he probably wants to kill me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-d-be-afraid-of-a-man-with-two-shadows-because-that-man-is-my-clone/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“They kill me because they are afraid of me; and what more can any man's heart desire? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-lillian-voynich/they-kill-me-because-they-are-afraid-of-me-and-what-more-can-any-man/) [Ethel Lillian Voynich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-lillian-voynich/) > [“Look at my face: I am not afraid of any man alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/look-at-my-face-i-am-not-afraid-of-any-man-alive/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [I cannot understand a society that is more afraid of a man in a dress than a man in a soldier’s uniform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-nestle/i-cannot-understand-a-society-that-is-more-afraid-of-a-man-in-a-dress/) [Joan Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-nestle/) > [“Did you read the instructions?” He shook his head. “Why, were you afraid they’d take your man card away?” “Are you going to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/did-you-read-the-instructions-he-shook-his-head-why-were-you-afraid/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“It's hard to be afraid of a man who is sitting watching you put on hand lotion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-hard-to-be-afraid-of-a-man-who-is-sitting-watching-you-put-on/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“You’re wrong!” “Am I?” he asks. “Face it. You want it just as much as I do, but you’re scared. You want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-p-attardo/you-re-wrong-am-i-he-asks-face-it-you-want-it-just-as-much-as-i-do/) [M.P. Attardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-p-attardo/) > [I was as afraid as the next man in my time and maybe more so. But with the years, fear had come to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-was-as-afraid-as-the-next-man-in-my-time-and-maybe-more-so-but-with/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Afraid? Me? A man who's licked his weight in wild caterpillars?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/afraid-me-a-man-who-s-licked-his-weight-in-wild-caterpillars/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) ## More by James Harrington > [La wis but paper without hands of a swords of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/la-wis-but-paper-without-hands-of-a-swords-of-men/) [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) > [A whole army, though they can neither write nor read, are not afraid of a platform, which they know is but earth or stone;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-write-nor-read-are-not-afraid-of/) [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) > [And government (to define it de facto, or according to modern prudence) is an art whereby some man, or some few men, subject a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/and-government-to-define-it-de-facto-or-according-to-modern-prudence/) [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) > [The blushing cheek speaks modest mind,The lips befitting words most kind,The eye does tempt to love's desire,And seems to, say 'tis "Cupid's fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/the-blushing-cheek-speaks-modest-mind-the-lips-befitting-words-most/) [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) > [No man can be a politician, except he be first a historian or a traveller; for except he can see what must be, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/no-man-can-be-a-politician-except-he-be-first-a-historian-or-a/) [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) > [The Law is but words and paper without the hands of swords of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/the-law-is-but-words-and-paper-without-the-hands-of-swords-of-men/) [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) > [Vice: Whatever was passion in the contemplation of man, being brought forth by his will into action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/vice-whatever-was-passion-in-the-contemplation-of-man-being-brought/) [James Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) [Explore all 8 James Harrington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/) ## More Army quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I have real strong feelings about our troops and support them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fichtner/i-have-real-strong-feelings-about-our-troops-and-support-them/) [William Fichtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fichtner/) > [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) [Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A whole army, though they can neither write nor read, are not afraid of a platform... therefore a whole army is afraid of one man.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Harrington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-write-nor-read-are-not-afraid-of-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Army" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-write-nor-read-are-not-afraid-of-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-harrington-47852_army_a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-wri_1627018.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-harrington-47852_army_a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-wri_1627018.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-harrington-47852_army_a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-wri_1627018.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A whole army, though they can neither write nor read, are not afraid of a platform... therefore a whole army…” — James Harrington", "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": "James Harrington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harrington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A whole army, though they can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-write-nor-read-are-not-afraid-of-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harrington/a-whole-army-though-they-can-neither-write-nor-read-are-not-afraid-of-2/#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 } } ] } ```