Human society Quote by Philip K. Dick
““The human society has evolved war as a cultural institution, like the science of astronomy, or mathematics. War is a part of our lives, a career, a respected vocation. Bright, alert young men and women move into it, putting their shoulders to the wheel as they did in the time of Nebuchadnezzar. It has always been so.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Man in the High Castle, 1962
War is portrayed as an institutionalized career, akin to science, embedded in culture and respected as a vocation.
In simple terms: War is a cultural institution and career.
Key Takeaway
Question the normalization of war.
Themes
war
culture
career
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
social critique
When to use this quote
- military recruitment
- policy making
- education
- media narratives
Key Concepts
institutionalism
historical continuity
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do societies valorize war?
- What alternatives exist for such career paths?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizing war ignores its devastation.
![“Human society is not a machine, and it must not be made such, even in the economic field… Access to employment [shall not be] made to depend on registration in certain parties or in organization which deal with the distribution of employment… It is necessary that humanity turn its gaze toward the…” quote by Pope Pius XII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a5c/pope-pius-xii-10088_access_human-society-is-not-a-machine-and-it-mu_80908.jpg)
