--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God alone is entirely exempt from all…" description: "\"God alone is entirely exempt from all want of human virtues, that which needs least is the most absolute and divine.\" — Plutarch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/plutarch-597_absolutes_god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-wa_174675.jpg" --- # God alone is entirely exempt from all want of human… ![“God alone is entirely exempt from all want of human virtues, that which needs least is the most absolute and divine.” quote by Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/plutarch-597_absolutes_god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-wa_174675.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/plutarch-597_absolutes_god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-wa_174675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/plutarch-597_absolutes_god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-wa_174675.jpg) > “God alone is entirely exempt from all want of human virtues, that which needs least is the most absolute and divine.” [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine nature is beyond human virtues; the least needed is the most divine. **In simple terms:** God is beyond human moral standards. Key Takeaway Consider the limits of human virtue. Themes theology divinity virtue philosophy Mood contemplative serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - religious doctrine - personal belief - moral philosophy Key Concepts metaphysics ethical theory Questions to Reflect On - What does “least needed” imply? - How does this shape moral expectations? A Different Perspective Interpretations vary across faiths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [But, because my private lectures and domestic pupils are a great hinderance and intteruption of my studies, I wish to live entirely exempt from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/but-because-my-private-lectures-and-domestic-pupils-are-a-great/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [Education makes life self-reliant. It inspires man to live with dignity in the society. It is the foremost requisite of a teacher to identify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/education-makes-life-self-reliant-it-inspires-man-to-live-with/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [How, then, shall God give himself entirely to that one who, besides his God, loves creatures still?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-liguori/how-then-shall-god-give-himself-entirely-to-that-one-who-besides-his/) [Alphonsus Liguori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-liguori/) > [God is entirely and personally present in the wilderness, in the garden, in the field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/god-is-entirely-and-personally-present-in-the-wilderness-in-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [I have a capacity in my soul for taking in God entirely. I am as sure as I live that nothing is so near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/i-have-a-capacity-in-my-soul-for-taking-in-god-entirely-i-am-as-sure/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [“To be unknown to God is entirely too much privacy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-be-unknown-to-god-is-entirely-too-much-privacy/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Morality is more than possible without God, it is entirely independent of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/morality-is-more-than-possible-without-god-it-is-entirely-independent/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [“No man was created good by God, nor can be made entirely bad by man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/no-man-was-created-good-by-god-nor-can-be-made-entirely-bad-by-man/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [To will everything that God wills, and to will it always, in all circumstances and without reservations: that is the kingdom of God which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/to-will-everything-that-god-wills-and-to-will-it-always-in-all/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [“Evil, let it never be mistaken, is real. But it is inferior. It is parasitic. It is incomplete. The moment we take counsel from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-worner/evil-let-it-never-be-mistaken-is-real-but-it-is-inferior-it-is/) Tod Worner > [I think the greatest of all human virtues is loyalty. It embraces all the best of the human character: courage, faith, love and charity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-bader/i-think-the-greatest-of-all-human-virtues-is-loyalty-it-embraces-all/) [Douglas Bader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-bader/) > [“In every class of society, gratitude is the rarest of all human virtues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/in-every-class-of-society-gratitude-is-the-rarest-of-all-human-virtues/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [I think that every educator, indeed every human being, is concerned with what is true and what is not; what experiences to cherish and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/i-think-that-every-educator-indeed-every-human-being-is-concerned/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [The home is the chief school of human virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/the-home-is-the-chief-school-of-human-virtues/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [The common man, finding himself in a world so excellent, technically and socially, believes it has been produced by nature, and never thinks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/the-common-man-finding-himself-in-a-world-so-excellent-technically/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) ## More by Plutarch > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [The generous mind adds dignity to every act, and nothing misbecomes it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/the-generous-mind-adds-dignity-to-every-act-and-nothing-misbecomes-it/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Painting is silent poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/painting-is-silent-poetry/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [King Agis said, "The Lacedæmonians are not wont to ask how many, but where the enemy are."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/king-agis-said-the-laced-monians-are-not-wont-to-ask-how-many-but/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Alexander wept when he heard from Anaxarchus that there was an infinite number of worlds; and his friends asking him if any accident had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/alexander-wept-when-he-heard-from-anaxarchus-that-there-was-an/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Proper listening is the foundation of proper living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/proper-listening-is-the-foundation-of-proper-living/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/painting-is-silent-poetry-and-poetry-is-painting-that-speaks/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Speech is like cloth of Arras opened and put abroad, whereby the imagery doth appear in figure; whereas in thoughts they lie but as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/speech-is-like-cloth-of-arras-opened-and-put-abroad-whereby-the/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [There were two brothers called Both and Either; perceiving Either was a good, understanding, busy fellow, and Both a silly fellow and good for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/there-were-two-brothers-called-both-and-either-perceiving-either-was/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Why does pouring Oil on the Sea make it Clear and Calm? Is it that the winds, slipping the smooth oil, have no force,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/why-does-pouring-oil-on-the-sea-make-it-clear-and-calm-is-it-that-the/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [This excerpt is presented as reproduced by Copernicus in the preface to De Revolutionibus: "Some think that the earth remains at rest. But Philolaus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/this-excerpt-is-presented-as-reproduced-by-copernicus-in-the-preface/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risk everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/it-is-part-of-a-good-man-to-do-great-and-noble-deeds-though-he-risk/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [I am whatever was, or is, or will be; and my veil no mortal ever took up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/i-am-whatever-was-or-is-or-will-be-and-my-veil-no-mortal-ever-took-up/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [The pilot cannot mitigate the billows or calm the winds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/the-pilot-cannot-mitigate-the-billows-or-calm-the-winds/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [“In Springtime, O Dionysos, To thy holy temple come, To Elis with thy Graces, Rushing with thy bull-foot, come, Noble Bull, Noble Bull”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/in-springtime-o-dionysos-to-thy-holy-temple-come-to-elis-with-thy/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) [Explore all 451 Plutarch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [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/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "God alone is entirely exempt from all want of human virtues, that which needs least is the most absolute and divine.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Plutarch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-want-of-human-virtues-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absolutes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-want-of-human-virtues-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/plutarch-597_absolutes_god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-wa_174675.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/plutarch-597_absolutes_god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-wa_174675.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/plutarch-597_absolutes_god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-wa_174675.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“God alone is entirely exempt from all want of human virtues, that which needs least is the most absolute and…” — Plutarch", "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": "Plutarch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "God alone is entirely exempt from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-want-of-human-virtues-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/god-alone-is-entirely-exempt-from-all-want-of-human-virtues-that/#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 } } ] } ```