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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.” quote by Paul Valery
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“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.”

Paul Valery

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.

Key Takeaway

Question the ethics of systems that reward exploitation.

Themes

ethics society law morality economics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

  • political activism
  • business ethics
  • community building
  • legal reform

Key Concepts

social contract justice power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

  • What systems reward exploitation?
  • How can societies shift toward creation?
A Different Perspective

Overlooks positive collaborative alternatives; may be cynical.

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