Death Quote by Marilyn French
““It would be hard to get statistics on violent death -- what do you count as murder? When people starve to death because of policies of governments and corporations, is that murder? Nature does a fair amount of murdering itself, which is why this whole notion of dominating nature arose: it was one of those things that seemed a good idea at the time. No one ever believes a cure will prove worse than the disease. And maybe it isn't. An invasion of microbes that destroys a body could also be called murder. All deaths are violent deaths, I suppose.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Public discourse on ethics, 2015
The quote questions how we define violent death, blurring lines between murder, policy‑induced famine, and natural causes, suggesting all deaths could be seen as violent.
In simple terms: Definitions of murder are ambiguous, making all deaths seem violent.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about violent death.
Themes
ethics
politics
philosophy
environment
health
Mood
thoughtful
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- debates on war
- public health crises
- environmental policy
- legal definitions
- bioethics
Key Concepts
Moral relativism
definition of violence
policy impact
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we draw meaningful lines between intentional and systemic harm?
- What are the consequences of labeling all deaths as violent?
A Different Perspective
The broad definition may dilute the term’s meaning, making it less useful for accountability.
![“[W]ithout changing the most molecular relationships in society — notably, those between men and women, adults and children, whites and other ethnic groups, heterosexuals and gays (the list, in fact, is considerable) — society will be riddled by domination even in a socialistic ‘classless’ and…” quote by Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5e4/murray-bookchin-2587_children_w-ithout-changing-the-most-molecular-rel_189100.jpg)
