--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it is true that vice can never be done…" description: "\"If it is true that vice can never be done away with, the science of government consists of making it contribute to the public good.\" — Luc de Clapiers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/202/luc-de-clapiers-2035_done_if-it-is-true-that-vice-can-never-be-don_264369.png" --- # If it is true that vice can never be done away with, the… ![“If it is true that vice can never be done away with, the science of government consists of making it contribute to the public good.” quote by Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/202/luc-de-clapiers-2035_done_if-it-is-true-that-vice-can-never-be-don_264369.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/202/luc-de-clapiers-2035_done_if-it-is-true-that-vice-can-never-be-don_264369.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/202/luc-de-clapiers-2035_done_if-it-is-true-that-vice-can-never-be-don_264369.png) > “If it is true that vice can never be done away with, the science of government consists of making it contribute to the public good.” [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Governance should channel inevitable vices toward societal benefit. **In simple terms:** Use flaws for public good. Key Takeaway Design policies that harness vice. Themes government ethics public good Mood analytical critical Type philosophical instructive When to use this quote - legislation - taxation - regulation Key Concepts utilitarianism policy design social engineering Questions to Reflect On - How can policies incentivize positive outcomes? - What safeguards prevent abuse? A Different Perspective Vices may resist reform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Consists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-consists-1186687/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Public good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-good/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-government-258544/) [True Vice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-vice-2598393/) [Vice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) ## Related quotes > [“Hypocrisy a homage is true, That vice pays to virtue, Be man - himself so true, That no false does he brew.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munindra-misra/hypocrisy-a-homage-is-true-that-vice-pays-to-virtue-be-man-himself-so/) [Munindra Misra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munindra-misra/) > [The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, bestowed for the good of the country, and not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-calhoun/the-very-essence-of-a-free-government-consists-in-considering-offices/) [John C. 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(p.56)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/true-vice-my-lady-would-frighten-us-all-if-it-did-not-wear-the-mask/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) > [“The science of government it is my duty to study, more than all other sciences; the arts of legislation and administration and negotiation ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-science-of-government-it-is-my-duty-to-study-more-than-all-other/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The future science of government should be called 'la cybernétique'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-marie-ampere/the-future-science-of-government-should-be-called-la-cybern-tique-2/) [Andre-Marie Ampere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-marie-ampere/) > [The art of putting the right men in the right places is first in the science of government; but that of finding places for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/the-art-of-putting-the-right-men-in-the-right-places-is-first-in-the/) [Charles Maurice de Talleyrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/) > [The science of government is only a science of combinations, of applications, and of exceptions, according to times, places and circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-science-of-government-is-only-a-science-of-combinations-of/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“The future science of government should be called 'la cybernétique' (1843) { Coining the French word to mean 'the art of governing,' from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-marie-ampere/the-future-science-of-government-should-be-called-la-cybern-tique/) [Andre-Marie Ampere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-marie-ampere/) > [Experience has instructed us that no skill in the science of government has yet been able to discriminate and define, with sufficient certainty, its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/experience-has-instructed-us-that-no-skill-in-the-science-of/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power. ... 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In a republic, what species of knowledge can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/a-primary-object-should-be-the-education-of-our-youth-in-the-science/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-general-the-art-of-government-consists-of-taking-as-much-money-as/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-government-consists-of-a-gang-of-men-exactly-like-you-and-me-they/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## More by Luc de Clapiers > [Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-undertake-great-things-because-they-are-great-fools-because/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [You must rouse into people's consciousness their own prudence and strength, if you want to raise their character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/you-must-rouse-into-people-s-consciousness-their-own-prudence-and/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [To achieve great things we must live as though we were never going to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/to-achieve-great-things-we-must-live-as-though-we-were-never-going-to/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [Excessive distrust is not less hurtfJul than its opposite. Most men become useless to him who is unwilling to risk being deceived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/excessive-distrust-is-not-less-hurtfjul-than-its-opposite-most-men/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [There are those who are so scrupulously afraid of doing wrong that they seldom venture to do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/there-are-those-who-are-so-scrupulously-afraid-of-doing-wrong-that/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [The most absurd and reckless aspirations have sometimes led to extraordinary success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/the-most-absurd-and-reckless-aspirations-have-sometimes-led-to/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [We are very wrong to think that some fault or other can exclude virtue, or to consider the alliance of good and evil as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/we-are-very-wrong-to-think-that-some-fault-or-other-can-exclude/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [Men are not to be judged by what they do not know, but by what they know, and by the manner in which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/men-are-not-to-be-judged-by-what-they-do-not-know-but-by-what-they/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [Men dissimulate their dearest, most constant, and most virtuous inclination from weakness and a fear of being condemned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/men-dissimulate-their-dearest-most-constant-and-most-virtuous/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [To withdraw ourselves from the law of the strong, we have found ourselves obliged to submit to justice. Justice or might, we must choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/to-withdraw-ourselves-from-the-law-of-the-strong-we-have-found/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [None are more liable to mistakes than those who act only on second thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/none-are-more-liable-to-mistakes-than-those-who-act-only-on-second/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [The mind is the soul's eye, not its source of power. That lies in the heart, in other words, in the passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/the-mind-is-the-soul-s-eye-not-its-source-of-power-that-lies-in-the/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [It is easier to say new things than to reconcile those which have already been said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/it-is-easier-to-say-new-things-than-to-reconcile-those-which-have/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [Those who can bear all can dare all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/those-who-can-bear-all-can-dare-all/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [It is of no use to possess a lively wit if it is not of the right proportion: the perfection of a clock is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/it-is-of-no-use-to-possess-a-lively-wit-if-it-is-not-of-the-right/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) [Explore all 190 Luc de Clapiers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. 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