Banking system Quote by Paul Valery
“There are two ways to aquire the niceties of life: 1) To produce them or 2) To plunder them. When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time, a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Art of Living, 1905
Acquiring life's niceties requires creation or exploitation; societies that normalize plunder develop laws and morals that legitimize it.
In simple terms: To get life's comforts you must create them or steal them; societies may legitimize theft.
Question the ethics of systems that reward exploitation.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- political activism
- business ethics
- community building
- legal reform
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What systems reward exploitation?
- How can societies shift toward creation?
Overlooks positive collaborative alternatives; may be cynical.