Barbarism Quote by John Ramsay McCulloch
“It is to labor, and to labor only, that man owes everything possessed of exchangeable value. Labor is the talisman that has raised him from the condition of the savage: that has changed the desert and the forest into cultivated fields; that has covered the earth with cities, and the ocean with ships; that has given us plenty, comfort, and elegance, instead of want, misery, and barbarism.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Principles of Political Economy, 1825
Labor is the fundamental source of civilization’s progress and material comfort.
In simple terms: Work creates civilization and comfort.
Key Takeaway
Value labor as the engine of progress.
Themes
labor
economics
civilization
Mood
analytical
historical
Type
economic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- agriculture
- industry
- urban development
Key Concepts
production
value creation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does labor shape your community?
- What role does technology play alongside labor?
A Different Perspective
May ignore non‑labor contributions like innovation.
![“There is not a tool, an implement, or a machine that has not resulted in a decrease in the contribution of human labor. Labor is not made permanently idle [though]; when replaced in one special category... it turns its attack against other obstacles on the main road to progress.” quote by Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0da/frederic-bastiat-2151_categories_there-is-not-a-tool-an-implement-or-a-ma_1496182.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
![“[Much] as war attracts me and fascinates my mind with its tremendous situations, I feel more deeply every year . . . what vile and wicked folly and barbarism it all is.” quote by Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e15/winston-churchill-95_barbarism_much-as-war-attracts-me-and-fascinates-m_68452.jpg)
