--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War, in our country, ought never to be…" description: "\"War, in our country, ought never to be resorted to but when it is clearly justifiable and necessary; so much so as not to require the aid of logic to c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/john-c-calhoun-4136_country_war-in-our-country-ought-never-to-be-res_1515199.png" --- # War, in our country, ought never to be resorted to but… ![“War, in our country, ought never to be resorted to but when it is clearly justifiable and necessary; so much so as not to require the aid of logic to convince our understanding nor the ardour of eloquence to inflame our passions. There are many reasons why this country should never resort to it…” quote by John C. Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/john-c-calhoun-4136_country_war-in-our-country-ought-never-to-be-res_1515199.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/john-c-calhoun-4136_country_war-in-our-country-ought-never-to-be-res_1515199.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c7/john-c-calhoun-4136_country_war-in-our-country-ought-never-to-be-res_1515199.png) > “War, in our country, ought never to be resorted to but when it is clearly justifiable and necessary; so much so as not to require the aid of logic to convince our understanding nor the ardour of eloquence to inflame our passions. There are many reasons why this country should never resort to it but for causes the most urgent and necessary.” [John C. Calhoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-calhoun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War is justified only when absolutely necessary, beyond logical persuasion, appealing directly to deep conviction. **In simple terms:** War only when unavoidable and urgent. Key Takeaway Reserve war for truly essential, existential threats. Themes ethics politics conflict just war Mood serious somber analytical Type political ethical When to use this quote - national security debates - parliamentary discussions - military planning - crisis response Key Concepts moral philosophy statecraft necessity Questions to Reflect On - When is war truly unavoidable? - How can societies prevent misuse of “necessity”? A Different Perspective Moral justification can be subjective and misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [My position on that has been misrepresented again and again and again in the media. Let me make it clear. There are two wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lewis/my-position-on-that-has-been-misrepresented-again-and-again-and-again/) [Bernard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lewis/) > [I believe that peace with the Palestinians is most urgent - urgent than ever before. It is necessary. It is crucial. 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