---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Government force is derived from the sum…"
description: "\"Government force is derived from the sum of the physical force each citizen could exert which by one citizen himself would be ineffective, but when su..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/ludwig-von-mises-364_areas_government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum_1333494.jpg"
---

#  Government force is derived from the sum of the physical…

![“Government force is derived from the sum of the physical force each citizen could exert which by one citizen himself would be ineffective, but when summed from the force of all the area's citizens indeed composes a power no citizen or group can withstand. That force is then rightly but justly to…” quote by Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/ludwig-von-mises-364_areas_government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum_1333494.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/ludwig-von-mises-364_areas_government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum_1333494.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/ludwig-von-mises-364_areas_government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum_1333494.jpg)

> “Government force is derived from the sum of the physical force each citizen could exert which by one citizen himself would be ineffective, but when summed from the force of all the area's citizens indeed composes a power no citizen or group can withstand. That force is then rightly but justly to be used against those who violate the foundation pillars of freedom.”

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Collective physical power of a population exceeds any single individual's capability, justifying its use against threats to liberty.

**In simple terms:** A group’s strength is greater than one person’s.

Key Takeaway

Use collective force to protect freedom.

Themes

politics security collective action freedom authority

Mood

serious reflective

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- defending constitutional rights
- law enforcement
- national defense
- civil resistance

Key Concepts

social contract legitimacy power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- When is collective force justified?
- How to balance security and liberty?

A Different Perspective

May overlook individual rights and lead to overreach.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Physical force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical-force/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [The greatest force is derived from the power of thought. The finer the element, the more powerful it is. The silent power of thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-greatest-force-is-derived-from-the-power-of-thought-the-finer-the/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [There are only two forces that can withstand the force of the war's spirit when it seizes upon the world. The one is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmeline-pethick-lawrence-baroness-pethick-lawrence/there-are-only-two-forces-that-can-withstand-the-force-of-the-war-s/)

Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, Baroness Pethick-Lawrence

> [I was not long since in a company where I was not who of my fraternity brought news of a kind of pills, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/i-was-not-long-since-in-a-company-where-i-was-not-who-of-my/)

[Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/)

> [Government is force, pure and simple. There's no way to sugar-coat that. And because government is force, it will attract the worst elements of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/government-is-force-pure-and-simple-there-s-no-way-to-sugar-coat-that/)

[Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/)

> [Over the years, I think, more and more, I've come to recognize that my parents - not in a didactic or explicit way, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cordray/over-the-years-i-think-more-and-more-i-ve-come-to-recognize-that-my/)

[Richard Cordray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cordray/)

> [An occasional insurrection will not weigh against the inconveniences of a government of force, such as are monarchies and aristocracies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/an-occasional-insurrection-will-not-weigh-against-the-inconveniences/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Since when do we let the government decide what is or isn't good for us? What the hell does Congress know about nutrition, anyway?...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-badnarik/since-when-do-we-let-the-government-decide-what-is-or-isn-t-good-for/)

[Michael Badnarik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-badnarik/)

> [“They challenged the widely accepted post–World War II consensus that an activist government was a force for public good. Instead, they argued for “limited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/they-challenged-the-widely-accepted-post-world-war-ii-consensus-that/)

[Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/)

> [The essence of government is force, and most often that force is used to accomplish evil ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/the-essence-of-government-is-force-and-most-often-that-force-is-used/)

[Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/)

> [No government can make me wear a veil, no government can force me not to wear it either](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/no-government-can-make-me-wear-a-veil-no-government-can-force-me-not/)

[Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/)

> [Some of the worst abuses of government force in recent years were precipitated by technical and victimless gun-law violations. For example, the BATF claimed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-kopel/some-of-the-worst-abuses-of-government-force-in-recent-years-were/)

[Dave Kopel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-kopel/)

> [A constitution should be framed so as not to impede the action of government, nor force the government to its violation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/a-constitution-should-be-framed-so-as-not-to-impede-the-action-of/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [The tow pillars of democratic government are the primacy of the law and the budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-tow-pillars-of-democratic-government-are-the-primacy-of-the-law/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [All the reasons which made the initiation of physical force evil, make the retaliatory use of physical force a moral imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/all-the-reasons-which-made-the-initiation-of-physical-force-evil-make/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/)

Segun Magbagbeola

## More by Ludwig von Mises

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Changes in human conditions are brought about by the pioneering of the cleverest and most energetic men. They take the lead and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/changes-in-human-conditions-are-brought-about-by-the-pioneering-of/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [During the 2300 years since Plato, very little opposition has been registered to his ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/during-the-2300-years-since-plato-very-little-opposition-has-been/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [“How little one is justified in speaking in this connection of "optimism" and "pessimism" and how much the characterization of liberalism as "optimistic" aims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/how-little-one-is-justified-in-speaking-in-this-connection-of/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Every step by which an individual substitutes concerted action for isolated action results in an immediate and recognizable improvement in his conditions. The advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/every-step-by-which-an-individual-substitutes-concerted-action-for/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [The capitalistic social order, therefore, is an economic democracy in the strictest sense of the word. In the last analysis, all decisions are dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-capitalistic-social-order-therefore-is-an-economic-democracy-in/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Without calculation, economic activity is impossible. Since under Socialism economic calculation is impossible, under Socialism there can be no economic activity in our sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/without-calculation-economic-activity-is-impossible-since-under/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [There is no kind of freedom and liberty other than the kind which the market economy brings about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/there-is-no-kind-of-freedom-and-liberty-other-than-the-kind-which-the/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Peace and not war is the father of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/peace-and-not-war-is-the-father-of-all-things/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [What counts alone is the innovator, the dissenter, the harbinger of things unheard of, the man who rejects the traditional standards and aims at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/what-counts-alone-is-the-innovator-the-dissenter-the-harbinger-of/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [All this talk: the state should do this or that, ultimately means: the police should force consumers to behave otherwise than they would behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/all-this-talk-the-state-should-do-this-or-that-ultimately-means-the/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [The most successful businessmen were often uneducated when measured by the scholastic standards of the teaching profession. But they were equal to their social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-most-successful-businessmen-were-often-uneducated-when-measured/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Facts per se can neither prove nor refute anything. Everything is decided by the interpretation and explanation of the facts, by the ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/facts-per-se-can-neither-prove-nor-refute-anything-everything-is/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

[Explore all 637 Ludwig von Mises quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

## More Areas quotes

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [The earliest language was body language and, since this language is the language of questions, if we limit the questions, and if we only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-earliest-language-was-body-language-and-since-this-language-is/)

[Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/)

> [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [People don't want to believe that technology is broken. Pharmaceuticals, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology - all these areas where the progress has been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/people-don-t-want-to-believe-that-technology-is-broken/)

[Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/)

> [It's absolutely fun to walk around and have people respect you. When Michael Jackson did Thriller, I was in the park one day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/it-s-absolutely-fun-to-walk-around-and-have-people-respect-you-when/)

[Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/)

> [Software will get to be somewhat more mature, ah, but it will never be as predictable as most areas of engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-will-get-to-be-somewhat-more-mature-ah-but-it-will-never-be/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [If I were entering adulthood now instead of in the environment of fifty years ago, I would choose a career that kept me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/if-i-were-entering-adulthood-now-instead-of-in-the-environment-of/)

[Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/)

> [The discrepancy between what actually happened and the version of what happened provided by sources is an enormous gray area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/the-discrepancy-between-what-actually-happened-and-the-version-of/)

[Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/)

> [Louisville is a place with no labels. It’s not the South, it’s not Chicago, and you don’t think of it as you think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/louisville-is-a-place-with-no-labels-it-s-not-the-south-it-s-not/)

[Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/)

> [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/)

[John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/)

> [Engaging the city around us and ministering to its needs reveal to us the remaining bastions of sin in our lives, the areas we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/engaging-the-city-around-us-and-ministering-to-its-needs-reveal-to-us/)

[Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/)

> [I believe it is a mistake to isolate arms control from other areas of policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-believe-it-is-a-mistake-to-isolate-arms-control-from-other-areas-of/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Well, the U.N. Security Council resolution 1973 is very clear. It says all necessary measures to be taken to protect civilians and civilian areas.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/well-the-u-n-security-council-resolution-1973-is-very-clear-it-says/)

[Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/)

> [When in one area of the world the standard of living and the size of the middle class increases, it is going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/when-in-one-area-of-the-world-the-standard-of-living-and-the-size-of/)

[Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/)

Browse all 2,612 Areas quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Government force  is derived from the sum of the physical force each citizen could exert which by one citizen himself would be ineffective, but when summed from the force of all the area's citizens indeed composes a  power no citizen or group can withstand. That force is then rightly but justly  to be used against those  who violate the foundation pillars of freedom.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ludwig von Mises"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum-of-the-physical-force-each/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Areas"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum-of-the-physical-force-each/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/ludwig-von-mises-364_areas_government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum_1333494.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/ludwig-von-mises-364_areas_government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum_1333494.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/ludwig-von-mises-364_areas_government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum_1333494.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Government force is derived from the sum of the physical force each citizen could exert which by one citizen…” — Ludwig von Mises",
                "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": "Ludwig von Mises",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Government force is derived from the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum-of-the-physical-force-each/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/government-force-is-derived-from-the-sum-of-the-physical-force-each/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
