--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Quatelet’s first claim to catch…" description: "\"“[Quatelet’s first claim to catch attention] was that since (as he believed he had shown) there is a ‘law’ governing the amount of crime in a society, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/272/louis-menand-8583_crime_quatelet-s-first-claim-to-catch-attentio_2559213.png" --- # \[Quatelet’s first claim to catch attention\] was that since… ![“[Quatelet’s first claim to catch attention] was that since (as he believed he had shown) there is a ‘law’ governing the amount of crime in a society, moral responsibility for crime must lie with the society and not with the individual criminal. ‘It is society that prepares the crime and … the…” quote by Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/272/louis-menand-8583_crime_quatelet-s-first-claim-to-catch-attentio_2559213.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/272/louis-menand-8583_crime_quatelet-s-first-claim-to-catch-attentio_2559213.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/272/louis-menand-8583_crime_quatelet-s-first-claim-to-catch-attentio_2559213.png) > ““\[Quatelet’s first claim to catch attention\] was that since (as he believed he had shown) there is a ‘law’ governing the amount of crime in a society, moral responsibility for crime must lie with the society and not with the individual criminal. ‘It is society that prepares the crime and … the guilty person is only the instrument who executes it,’ is the rather dramatic way he expressed it. People who murder—like people who marry and people who commit suicide—are only fulfilling a quota that has been preset by social conditions.”” [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that crime is largely shaped by societal conditions, implying collective moral responsibility rather than individual blame. **In simple terms:** Society influences crime rates. Key Takeaway Address social factors to reduce crime. Themes sociology crime responsibility Mood reflective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - urban planning - education reform - poverty alleviation - public health initiatives Key Concepts structural determinism social policy Questions to Reflect On - How can societies change conditions that foster crime? - What balance should be struck between personal and collective responsibility? 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