--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Murder is a horror, but an often…" description: "\"Murder is a horror, but an often necessary horror, never criminal, which it is essential to tolerate in a republican State. Is it or is it not a crime?..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/marquis-de-sade-1964_crime_murder-is-a-horror-but-an-often-necessar_611272.jpg" --- # Murder is a horror, but an often necessary horror, never… ![“Murder is a horror, but an often necessary horror, never criminal, which it is essential to tolerate in a republican State. Is it or is it not a crime? If it is not, why make laws for its punishment? And if it is, by what barbarous logic do you, to punish it, duplicate it by another crime?” quote by Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/marquis-de-sade-1964_crime_murder-is-a-horror-but-an-often-necessar_611272.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/marquis-de-sade-1964_crime_murder-is-a-horror-but-an-often-necessar_611272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65e/marquis-de-sade-1964_crime_murder-is-a-horror-but-an-often-necessar_611272.jpg) > “Murder is a horror, but an often necessary horror, never criminal, which it is essential to tolerate in a republican State. Is it or is it not a crime? If it is not, why make laws for its punishment? And if it is, by what barbarous logic do you, to punish it, duplicate it by another crime?” [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that killing can be justified by the state and questions the moral basis of criminal law against murder. **In simple terms:** Killing may be seen as necessary by a state, challenging legal norms. Key Takeaway Question the justification of laws on killing. Themes ethics law state power violence philosophy Mood provocative critical philosophical Type argumentative controversial ethical When to use this quote - war - self‑defense - capital punishment - revolutionary movements Key Concepts social contract moral relativism state authority Questions to Reflect On - Is any act ever truly necessary for the state? - How do societies decide which harms are punishable? A Different Perspective Legal systems often rely on moral consensus, which can be contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Duplicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duplicate/) [Essentials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-necessary-4963402/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-punishment-2073862/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Murder Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder-horror-4963400/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Tolerate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerate/) [Tolerate Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerate-republican-4963401/) ## Related quotes > [If the people are governed by laws and punishment is used to maintain order, they will try to avoid the punishment but have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-the-people-are-governed-by-laws-and-punishment-is-used-to-maintain/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Nothing so upholds the laws as the punishment of persons whose rank is as great as their crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cardinal-richelieu/nothing-so-upholds-the-laws-as-the-punishment-of-persons-whose-rank/) [Cardinal Richelieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cardinal-richelieu/) > [You cannot duplicate Marion Lome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-moorehead/you-cannot-duplicate-marion-lome/) [Agnes Moorehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-moorehead/) > [You are here for a purpose. 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