--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wherever an altar is found, there…" description: "\"Wherever an altar is found, there civilization exists.\" — Joseph de Maistre" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/joseph-de-maistre-11359_altar_wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civiliz_1129907.jpg" --- # Wherever an altar is found, there civilization exists. ![“Wherever an altar is found, there civilization exists.” quote by Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/joseph-de-maistre-11359_altar_wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civiliz_1129907.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/joseph-de-maistre-11359_altar_wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civiliz_1129907.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/joseph-de-maistre-11359_altar_wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civiliz_1129907.jpg) > “Wherever an altar is found, there civilization exists.” [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The presence of a sacred space implies the existence of a surrounding culture or civilization. **In simple terms:** Altars signal a civilization. Key Takeaway Recognize cultural markers. Themes culture religion anthropology Mood observational analytical Type historical anthropological When to use this quote - archaeological digs - traveling abroad - urban planning - heritage preservation Key Concepts symbolic spaces civilizational identity Questions to Reflect On - What modern equivalents serve as cultural altars? - How do we respect sacred spaces? A Different Perspective Not all altars indicate sophisticated societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) ## Related quotes > [I don't believe that it's inconsistent to be suspicious of people and also be totally comfortable with deploying the technology, because you know its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-wilson/i-don-t-believe-that-it-s-inconsistent-to-be-suspicious-of-people-and/) [Cody Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-wilson/) > [“Civilization exists by geologic consent, subject to change without notice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/civilization-exists-by-geologic-consent-subject-to-change-without/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/civilization-exists-by-geological-consent-subject-to-change-without/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [“Perhaps the novel is a more perfect life and reality, which God creates through us. Perhaps we live only to create it. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/perhaps-the-novel-is-a-more-perfect-life-and-reality-which-god/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Civilization exists precisely so that there may be no masses but rather men alert enough never to constitute masses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bernanos/civilization-exists-precisely-so-that-there-may-be-no-masses-but/) [Georges Bernanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bernanos/) > [One might enumerate the items of high civilization, as it exists in other countries, which are absent from the texture of American life, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/one-might-enumerate-the-items-of-high-civilization-as-it-exists-in/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“The whole earth, perpetually steeped in blood, is nothing but a vast altar upon which all that is living must be sacrificed without end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/the-whole-earth-perpetually-steeped-in-blood-is-nothing-but-a-vast/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [The whole earth, perpetually steeped in blood, is nothing but an immense altar on which every living thing must be sacrificed without end, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/the-whole-earth-perpetually-steeped-in-blood-is-nothing-but-an/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/god-is-the-lord-which-hath-shewed-us-light-bind-the-sacrifice-with/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [We dare not trim stones to make God an altar, for if we do we ruin everything. We would spend time bringing people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/we-dare-not-trim-stones-to-make-god-an-altar-for-if-we-do-we-ruin/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [It is when we are in misery that we revere the gods; the prosperous seldom approach the altar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silius-italicus/it-is-when-we-are-in-misery-that-we-revere-the-gods-the-prosperous/) [Silius Italicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silius-italicus/) > [I'm a lapsed altar boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-m-a-lapsed-altar-boy/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [There was a time I worshipped at the altar of Rudy Martzke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/there-was-a-time-i-worshipped-at-the-altar-of-rudy-martzke/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [“...those others - they're looking for trends - subjects to catch a spark - but I have you - a coal from God's altar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/those-others-they-re-looking-for-trends-subjects-to-catch-a-spark-but/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [This is the sacrifice: the endless possibility that is offered up on the altar of the form...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/this-is-the-sacrifice-the-endless-possibility-that-is-offered-up-on/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) ## More by Joseph de Maistre > [War is thus divine in itself, since it is a law of the world. War is divine through its consequences of a supernatural nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/war-is-thus-divine-in-itself-since-it-is-a-law-of-the-world-war-is/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Nothing is necessary except God, and nothing is less necessary than pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/nothing-is-necessary-except-god-and-nothing-is-less-necessary-than/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [It is not the mediocrity of women's education which makes their weakness; it is their weakness which necessarily causes their mediocrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/it-is-not-the-mediocrity-of-women-s-education-which-makes-their/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [We are all bound to the throne of the Supreme Being by a flexible chain which restrains without enslaving us. The most wonderful aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/we-are-all-bound-to-the-throne-of-the-supreme-being-by-a-flexible/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [All pain is a punishment, and every punishment is inflicted for love as much as for justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/all-pain-is-a-punishment-and-every-punishment-is-inflicted-for-love/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Without doubt God is the universal moving force, but each being is moved according to the nature that God has given it. He directs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/without-doubt-god-is-the-universal-moving-force-but-each-being-is/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/man-is-insatiable-for-power-he-is-infantile-in-his-desires-and-always/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [A child is an angel dependent on man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/a-child-is-an-angel-dependent-on-man/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [“Thus is worked out, from maggots up to man, the universal law of the violent destruction of living beings. The whole earth, continually steeped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/thus-is-worked-out-from-maggots-up-to-man-the-universal-law-of-the/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [If there was no moral evil upon earth, there would be no physical evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/if-there-was-no-moral-evil-upon-earth-there-would-be-no-physical-evil/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Man is so muddled, so dependent on the things immediately before his eyes, that every day even the most submissive believer can be seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/man-is-so-muddled-so-dependent-on-the-things-immediately-before-his/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [The concept of number is the obvious distinction between the beast and man. Thanks to number, the cry becomes a song, noise acquires rhythm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/the-concept-of-number-is-the-obvious-distinction-between-the-beast/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents you with a question he considers very problematic after giving it careful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-absolute-fool-presents-you-with-a/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Every country has the government it deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-country-has-the-government-it-deserves/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Genius does not seem to derive any great support from syllogisms. Its carriage is free; its manner has a touch of inspiration. We see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/genius-does-not-seem-to-derive-any-great-support-from-syllogisms-its/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) [Explore all 60 Joseph de Maistre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) ## More Altar quotes > [This is the sacrifice: the endless possibility that is offered up on the altar of the form...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/this-is-the-sacrifice-the-endless-possibility-that-is-offered-up-on/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [“...those others - they're looking for trends - subjects to catch a spark - but I have you - a coal from God's altar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/those-others-they-re-looking-for-trends-subjects-to-catch-a-spark-but/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [There was a time I worshipped at the altar of Rudy Martzke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/there-was-a-time-i-worshipped-at-the-altar-of-rudy-martzke/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [I'm a lapsed altar boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-m-a-lapsed-altar-boy/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [It is when we are in misery that we revere the gods; the prosperous seldom approach the altar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silius-italicus/it-is-when-we-are-in-misery-that-we-revere-the-gods-the-prosperous/) [Silius Italicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silius-italicus/) > [We dare not trim stones to make God an altar, for if we do we ruin everything. We would spend time bringing people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/we-dare-not-trim-stones-to-make-god-an-altar-for-if-we-do-we-ruin/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/god-is-the-lord-which-hath-shewed-us-light-bind-the-sacrifice-with/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [“Sacrifice your fear on the altar of your dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-van-tuyl/sacrifice-your-fear-on-the-altar-of-your-dreams/) Barbara Van Tuyl > [“It doesn’t really matter what altar you’re being sacrificed on, it’s gonna sting either way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-roquet/it-doesn-t-really-matter-what-altar-you-re-being-sacrificed-on-it-s/) [Angela Roquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-roquet/) > [Since once again, O Lord, in the steppes of Asia, I have no bread, no wine, no altar, I will raise myself above those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/since-once-again-o-lord-in-the-steppes-of-asia-i-have-no-bread-no/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) > [I was, not an altar boy, but a reader of the Epistle, and I walked in on a nun and a priest furiously French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-was-not-an-altar-boy-but-a-reader-of-the-epistle-and-i-walked-in-on/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“The quickest way to alter an altar is not with a hammer, or even religious deconstruction, but with a typo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-quickest-way-to-alter-an-altar-is-not-with-a-hammer-or-even/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Beyond the table, there is an altar, with candles lit for Billie Holiday and Willa Carter and Hypatia and Patsy Cline. Next to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-maria-machado/beyond-the-table-there-is-an-altar-with-candles-lit-for-billie/) [Carmen Maria Machado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-maria-machado/) > [I acknowledge that the sacrament of the altar is very God's body in form of bread, but it is in another manner God's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wycliffe/i-acknowledge-that-the-sacrament-of-the-altar-is-very-god-s-body-in/) [John Wycliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wycliffe/) > [“Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine altar here, and dress it with such terrors as thou hast at thy command: for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dickens-charles/oh-cold-cold-rigid-dreadful-death-set-up-thine-altar-here-and-dress/) [Dickens, Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dickens-charles/) Browse all 131 Altar quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wherever an altar is found, there civilization exists.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph de Maistre" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civilization-exists/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Altar" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civilization-exists/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/joseph-de-maistre-11359_altar_wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civiliz_1129907.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/joseph-de-maistre-11359_altar_wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civiliz_1129907.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/joseph-de-maistre-11359_altar_wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civiliz_1129907.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wherever an altar is found, there civilization exists.” — Joseph de Maistre", "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": "Joseph de Maistre", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Wherever an altar is found, there...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civilization-exists/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/wherever-an-altar-is-found-there-civilization-exists/#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 } } ] } ```