--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That night Demosthenes published a…" description: "\"That night Demosthenes published a scathing denunciation of the population limitation laws. People should be allowed to have as many children as they l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/orson-scott-card-134_annihilation_that-night-demosthenes-published-a-scath_2219218.png" --- # That night Demosthenes published a scathing denunciation… ![“That night Demosthenes published a scathing denunciation of the population limitation laws. People should be allowed to have as many children as they like, and the surplus population should be sent to other worlds, to spread mankind so far across the galaxy that no disaster, no invasion could ever…” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/orson-scott-card-134_annihilation_that-night-demosthenes-published-a-scath_2219218.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/orson-scott-card-134_annihilation_that-night-demosthenes-published-a-scath_2219218.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/974/orson-scott-card-134_annihilation_that-night-demosthenes-published-a-scath_2219218.png) > “That night Demosthenes published a scathing denunciation of the population limitation laws. People should be allowed to have as many children as they like, and the surplus population should be sent to other worlds, to spread mankind so far across the galaxy that no disaster, no invasion could ever threaten the human race with annihilation. "The most noble title any child can have," Demosthenes wrote, "is Third.” [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Demosthenes argues for unrestricted procreation and colonization to ensure humanity's survival against existential threats. **In simple terms:** He wants unlimited children and space colonization for safety. Key Takeaway Consider the balance between growth and sustainability. Themes population future survival ethics Mood thoughtful speculative Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy debate - family planning - space exploration - environmental planning Key Concepts overpopulation colonial expansion existential risk Questions to Reflect On - Is it ethical to prioritize species survival over individual rights? - What limits should be set on colonization? A Different Perspective Unlimited growth may strain resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Annihilation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/annihilation/) [Child Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-demosthenes-4717382/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Demosthenes Published](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demosthenes-published-4717383/) [Demosthenes Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demosthenes-wrote-4717381/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Galaxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galaxy/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Invasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invasion/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Limitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitation/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Other worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other-worlds/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Population Limitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population-limitation-1630190/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Spread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spread/) [Spread Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spread-mankind-1904657/) [Surplus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surplus/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Titles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/titles/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Valentine went back to class without answering. That night Demosthenes published a scathing denunciation of the population limitation laws. People should be allowed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/valentine-went-back-to-class-without-answering-that-night-demosthenes/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [The most noble title any child can have, Demosthenes wrote, is third.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-most-noble-title-any-child-can-have-demosthenes-wrote-is-third/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [The more rapidly truth is spread among mankind the better it will be for them. 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It is the person of moderate means who really gives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eastman/the-rich-man-never-really-gives-anything-he-only-distributes-part-of/) [George Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eastman/) > [I certainly like it if the work is beautiful, but that's a surplus effect. I can only think about that after I consider how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walead-beshty/i-certainly-like-it-if-the-work-is-beautiful-but-that-s-a-surplus/) [Walead Beshty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walead-beshty/) > [Institutionalized rejection of differences is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people. As members of such an economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/institutionalized-rejection-of-differences-is-an-absolute-necessity/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [What works for Germany can't work for the rest of Europe: No country can run a chronic surplus without others running deficits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/what-works-for-germany-can-t-work-for-the-rest-of-europe-no-country/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [No industry or country can reach its full potential until women reach their full potential. This is especially true of science and technology, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/no-industry-or-country-can-reach-its-full-potential-until-women-reach/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Back in those days, in the fifties and sixties, countries had balance of payment's deficits or surpluses, those were reflected much more than today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-solomon/back-in-those-days-in-the-fifties-and-sixties-countries-had-balance/) [Robert C. Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-solomon/) > [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) ## More by Orson Scott Card > [“You underestimate yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-underestimate-yourself/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Why did he hesitate? 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The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Where ideas are real and reality is shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-ideas-are-real-and-reality-is-shadow/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Ender, for the past few months you have been the battle commander of our fleets. This was the Third Invasion. There were no games,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/ender-for-the-past-few-months-you-have-been-the-battle-commander-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Science fiction is about what could be but isn't; fantasy is about what couldn't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/science-fiction-is-about-what-could-be-but-isn-t-fantasy-is-about/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/knowledge-is-just-opinion-that-you-trust-enough-to-act-upon/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Of course they accused Marcão of having done it without provocation—that’s the way of torturers of every age, to put the blame on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/of-course-they-accused-marc-o-of-having-done-it-without-provocation/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Civilization is only a pretense; in the crisis, we become mere apes again, forgetting the rational biped of our pretensions and becoming instead the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/civilization-is-only-a-pretense-in-the-crisis-we-become-mere-apes/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Where did this whole thing begin? If what we think of as reality is just a pattern that somebody brought Outside, and the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-did-this-whole-thing-begin-if-what-we-think-of-as-reality-is/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) [Explore all 1,158 Orson Scott Card quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## More Annihilation quotes > [The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe... All is registered in the 'boundless heart' of the bodhisattva. Through our deepest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-macy/the-heart-that-breaks-open-can-contain-the-whole-universe-all-is/) [Joanna Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-macy/) > [The highest ideal of cure is the rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of health; that is, the lifting and annihilation of the disease in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-hahnemann/the-highest-ideal-of-cure-is-the-rapid-gentle-and-permanent/) [Samuel Hahnemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-hahnemann/) > [To fight is to face death once more, perhaps the total annihilation of their kind. But to run... is that not also a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/to-fight-is-to-face-death-once-more-perhaps-the-total-annihilation-of/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [I'm not afraid of anything other than spiritual annihilation. Where your soul is sucked into the void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispian-mills/i-m-not-afraid-of-anything-other-than-spiritual-annihilation-where/) [Crispian Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispian-mills/) > [“The breath had become as much a trick as breathing. Things were not dual merely, but multiple. I had become a cage of mirrors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-breath-had-become-as-much-a-trick-as-breathing-things-were-not/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [There were days when she was unhappy, she did not know why,--when it did not seem worthwhile to be glad or sorry, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/there-were-days-when-she-was-unhappy-she-did-not-know-why-when-it-did/) [Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/) > [I've crossed some kind of invisible line. I feel as if I've come to a place I never thought I'd have to come to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/i-ve-crossed-some-kind-of-invisible-line-i-feel-as-if-i-ve-come-to-a/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent on it's vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all committed, for our safety, to it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adlai-e-stevenson/we-travel-together-passengers-on-a-little-spaceship-dependent-on-it-s/) [Adlai E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adlai-e-stevenson/) > [Liberty is to faction, what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be a less folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/liberty-is-to-faction-what-air-is-to-fire-an-aliment-without-which-it/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Today I will once more be a prophet. 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