--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As man seeks justice in equality, so…" description: "\"As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order in anarchy.\" — Pierre-Joseph Proudhon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/pierre-joseph-proudhon-11634_anarchy_as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-soci_1945223.jpg" --- # As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order… ![“As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order in anarchy.” quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/pierre-joseph-proudhon-11634_anarchy_as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-soci_1945223.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/pierre-joseph-proudhon-11634_anarchy_as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-soci_1945223.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/pierre-joseph-proudhon-11634_anarchy_as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-soci_1945223.jpg) > “As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order in anarchy.” [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Justice seeks equality; society seeks order, yet both can conflict, leading to chaos. **In simple terms:** Justice and order can clash. Key Takeaway Balance equality with order. Themes philosophy society justice Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legal reform - community governance - social movements Key Concepts equality order anarchy balance Questions to Reflect On - Can equality exist without order? - What is the ideal balance between justice and order? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on order may suppress justice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) ## Related quotes > [“ Eve: All this riot and uproar, V... is this Anarchy? Is this the Land of Do-As-You-Please? 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Edgar Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-edgar-hoover/) > [We've lost leaders from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King, Jr. and countless others who have worked to bend the arc of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-northam/we-ve-lost-leaders-from-abraham-lincoln-to-martin-luther-king-jr-and/) [Ralph Northam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-northam/) > [Terrorism does not disappear with revenge tactics but through making justice and equality before law a reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asma-jahangir/terrorism-does-not-disappear-with-revenge-tactics-but-through-making/) [Asma Jahangir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asma-jahangir/) > [Thus it is thought that justice is equality; and so it is, but not for all persons, only for those that are equal. 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That is Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding, Freedom, Justice, Equality, Food, Clothing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rza/i-believe-in-the-12-jewels-and-try-to-provide-my-childrem-with-them/) [RZA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rza/) ## More by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon > [When deeds speak, words are nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/when-deeds-speak-words-are-nothing/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [In any given society the authority of man over man runs in inverse proportion to the intellectual development of that society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/in-any-given-society-the-authority-of-man-over-man-runs-in-inverse/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/communism-is-inequality-but-not-as-property-is-property-is/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [ The faults of which we ask you \[God\] the remittance, it is you who make us commit them; the traps of which we implore… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/the-faults-of-which-we-ask-you-god-the-remittance-it-is-you-who-make/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [Does it seem to you impossible to imagine anything more inextricable than the social contract, when you think of the frightful number of relations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/does-it-seem-to-you-impossible-to-imagine-anything-more-inextricable/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [The proprietor, producing neither by his own labor nor by his implement, and receiving products in exchange for nothing, is either a parasite or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/the-proprietor-producing-neither-by-his-own-labor-nor-by-his/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [The great are only great because we are on our knees. 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This development is what constitutes the education of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/justice-is-a-faculty-that-may-be-developed-this-development-is-what/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [To be governed ... is to be watched, inspected, directed, indoctrinated, numbered, estimated, regulated, commanded, controlled, law-driven, preached at, spied upon, censured, checked, valued,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/to-be-governed-is-to-be-watched-inspected-directed-indoctrinated/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [Communism--the first expression of the social nature--is the first term of social development--the thesis; property, the reverse of communism, is the second term--the antithesis.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/communism-the-first-expression-of-the-social-nature-is-the-first-term/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [Democracy is nothing but the Tyranny of Majorities, the most abominable tyranny of all, for it is not based on the authority of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/democracy-is-nothing-but-the-tyranny-of-majorities-the-most/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [“Of a real, true contract, on whatsoever subject, there is no vestige in Rousseau's book. To give an exact idea of his theory, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/of-a-real-true-contract-on-whatsoever-subject-there-is-no-vestige-in/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [the government can do nothing for you. But you can do everything for yourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/the-government-can-do-nothing-for-you-but-you-can-do-everything-for/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) [Explore all 57 Pierre-Joseph Proudhon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) ## More Anarchy quotes > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [So far I'm still standing on 'Sons of Anarchy' but all the rest of the people on the show have me in their crosshairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-pileggi/so-far-i-m-still-standing-on-sons-of-anarchy-but-all-the-rest-of-the/) Mitch Pileggi > [“Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World Without God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/anarchy-evolution-faith-science-and-bad-religion-in-a-world-without/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Perhaps it is this theory of all work and no play that has made the Marxist such a very dull boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-read/perhaps-it-is-this-theory-of-all-work-and-no-play-that-has-made-the/) [Herbert Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-read/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [I think that if you run a big company, you've got to, four or five times a year, just say, 'Hey team, look, here's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-that-if-you-run-a-big-company-you-ve-got-to-four-or-five/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [Where you have no religion, you are sure to have no government, for as religion disappears, anarchy takes place and fixes a compleat Hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-morgan/where-you-have-no-religion-you-are-sure-to-have-no-government-for-as/) [Daniel Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-morgan/) > [What a comfort it is to feel that amid the chaos and anarchy which sweep the surface, God is holding fast the foundations on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-b-meyer/what-a-comfort-it-is-to-feel-that-amid-the-chaos-and-anarchy-which/) [F.B. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-b-meyer/) > [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Would you like to do something good for the future of the human race; well, start killing some of its powerful members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/would-you-like-to-do-something-good-for-the-future-of-the-human-race/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [“twenty-three years of RFRAs to produce anarchy,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corvino/twenty-three-years-of-rfras-to-produce-anarchy/) [John Corvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corvino/) > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Browse all 795 Anarchy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order in anarchy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pierre-Joseph Proudhon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-society-seeks-order-in-anarchy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anarchy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-society-seeks-order-in-anarchy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/pierre-joseph-proudhon-11634_anarchy_as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-soci_1945223.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/pierre-joseph-proudhon-11634_anarchy_as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-soci_1945223.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/pierre-joseph-proudhon-11634_anarchy_as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-soci_1945223.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order in anarchy.” — Pierre-Joseph Proudhon", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pierre-Joseph Proudhon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As man seeks justice in equality,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-society-seeks-order-in-anarchy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/as-man-seeks-justice-in-equality-so-society-seeks-order-in-anarchy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```