--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Peace builds, war destroys. Nations are…" description: "\"“Peace builds, war destroys. Nations are fundamentally peaceful because they recognize the predominant utility of peace. They accept war only in self-d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/ludwig-von-mises-364_peace_peace-builds-war-destroys-nations-are-fu_184019.png" --- # Peace builds, war destroys. Nations are fundamentally… ![“Peace builds, war destroys. Nations are fundamentally peaceful because they recognize the predominant utility of peace. They accept war only in self-defence; wars of aggression they do not desire. It is the princes who want war, because thus they hope to get money, goods, and power. It is the…” quote by Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/ludwig-von-mises-364_peace_peace-builds-war-destroys-nations-are-fu_184019.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/ludwig-von-mises-364_peace_peace-builds-war-destroys-nations-are-fu_184019.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/ludwig-von-mises-364_peace_peace-builds-war-destroys-nations-are-fu_184019.png) > ““Peace builds, war destroys. Nations are fundamentally peaceful because they recognize the predominant utility of peace. They accept war only in self-defence; wars of aggression they do not desire. It is the princes who want war, because thus they hope to get money, goods, and power. It is the business of the nations to prevent them from achieving their desire by denying them the means necessary for making war.”” [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. Peace is essential for nations, while war is only justified for defense; aggression serves the interests of power‑hungry leaders and profit‑driven businesses. **In simple terms:** Peace sustains nations; war benefits only aggressors. Key Takeaway Promote peace and limit war to self‑defence. Themes peace war politics ethics Mood serious analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - government policy - international relations - defense planning Key Concepts realism pacifism economics Questions to Reflect On - How can societies prioritize peace over profit? - What mechanisms deter aggressive wars? A Different Perspective Peace can be fragile and require constant effort to maintain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-war-735008/) [Fundamentally Peaceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentally-peaceful-1960248/) [Nations Fundamentally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations-fundamentally-1960247/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Want War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars Aggression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars-aggression-1342792/) ## Related quotes > [Wars of aggression are popular nowadays with those nations convinced that only victory and conquest could improve their material well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/wars-of-aggression-are-popular-nowadays-with-those-nations-convinced/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“Modern wars as a rule have been caused by the commercial and financial rivalry and intrigues of the capitalist interests in the different countries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harrison-nichols/modern-wars-as-a-rule-have-been-caused-by-the-commercial-and/) [John Harrison Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harrison-nichols/) > [“But one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-james/but-one-of-them-would-make-war-rather-than-let-the-nation-survive-and/) [Jessica James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-james/) > [ “\[Standing armies\] constantly threaten other nations with war by giving the appearance that they are prepared for it, which goads nations into competing with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/standing-armies-constantly-threaten-other-nations-with-war-by-giving/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Wars of aggression are the most barbarous of all human endeavors and are, more often than not, the instruments of insane tyrants who hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodrigue-tremblay/wars-of-aggression-are-the-most-barbarous-of-all-human-endeavors-and/) [Rodrigue Tremblay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodrigue-tremblay/) > [Since I'm allergic to various things, the army wouldn't accept me during the war, and I got into the Office of War Information, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-carter/since-i-m-allergic-to-various-things-the-army-wouldn-t-accept-me/) [Elliott Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-carter/) > [Face your fear Accept your war it is what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zakk-wylde/face-your-fear-accept-your-war-it-is-what-it-is/) [Zakk Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zakk-wylde/) > [Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/both-parties-deprecated-war-but-one-of-them-would-make-war-rather/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Sure, we want to go home. 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Never, since the device of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wars-are-supposed-to-be-declared-by-governments-parliaments-and-kings/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think the public is very reluctant to get involved in more foreign wars, especially in the Middle East. And they understand, implicitly, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-klare/i-think-the-public-is-very-reluctant-to-get-involved-in-more-foreign/) [Michael Klare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-klare/) > [A Guy Just Wants peace of mind sometimes. He doesn't want to go to war with the one he loves. He want shit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/a-guy-just-wants-peace-of-mind-sometimes-he-doesn-t-want-to-go-to-war/) [Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/) > [“Madness,” he exclaimed to himself, in astonishment, faltering. “Madness! What do they want? Once again, once again!” War once again, war that had so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/madness-he-exclaimed-to-himself-in-astonishment-faltering-madness/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) ## 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. 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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 Peace quotes > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [“Peace requires a discipline more iron than war. - Easter, 1939 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-turner/peace-requires-a-discipline-more-iron-than-war-easter-1939/) [W.J. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-j-turner/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. 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A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [“There is no fortune greater than peace; there is no force greater than peace; there is no excellent tapas greater than peace; there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muruganar/there-is-no-fortune-greater-than-peace-there-is-no-force-greater-than/) [Muruganar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muruganar/) > [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. 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Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [War is like a fire. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about one thing in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-like-a-fire-one-man-may-start-it-but-it-will-spread-all-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,655 Peace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Peace builds, war destroys. Nations are fundamentally peaceful because they recognize the predominant utility of peace. They accept war only in self-defence; wars of aggression they do not desire. It is the princes who want war, because thus they hope to get money, goods, and power. 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