---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Social justice cannot be attained by…"
description: "\"Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.\" — Pope John Paul II"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/pope-john-paul-ii-485_crime_social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-vio_2490607.jpg"
---

#  Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence…

![“Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.” quote by Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/pope-john-paul-ii-485_crime_social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-vio_2490607.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/pope-john-paul-ii-485_crime_social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-vio_2490607.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/pope-john-paul-ii-485_crime_social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-vio_2490607.jpg)

> “Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.”

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Violence cannot create justice; it destroys the very goals it seeks to achieve.

**In simple terms:** Violence undermines justice.

Key Takeaway

Seek non‑violent solutions.

Themes

peace justice non‑violence

Mood

hopeful serious

Type

ethical inspirational

When to use this quote

- activism
- community building
- policy making
- education

Key Concepts

ethical philosophy conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- What peaceful alternatives exist for conflict?
- How can societies resist violent impulses?

A Different Perspective

Non‑violent methods may be slower or face resistance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Attained Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attained-violence-812934/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Violence Kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence-kills-960617/) [Violence Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence-violence-717202/)

## Related quotes

> [Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/victory-attained-by-violence-is-tantamount-to-a-defeat-for-it-is/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [Human rights pale beside the rights of machines. In more and more cities, especially in the great metropolises of the South, people have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/human-rights-pale-beside-the-rights-of-machines-in-more-and-more/)

[Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/)

> [Symbolic violence is violence wielded with tacit complicity between its victims and its agents, insofar as both remain unconscious of submitting to or wielding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-bourdieu/symbolic-violence-is-violence-wielded-with-tacit-complicity-between/)

[Pierre Bourdieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-bourdieu/)

> [Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is a momentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/victory-attained-by-violence-is-tantamount-to-a-defeat-for-it-is-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat for it is momentary." ( Satyagraha Leaflet No. 13 , 3 May 1919)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/victory-attained-by-violence-is-tantamount-to-a-defeat-for-it-is-2/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [You know, my mom, she's a little older than me. Her history in watching, you know, police violence and violence, period, over the years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-king/you-know-my-mom-she-s-a-little-older-than-me-her-history-in-watching/)

[Rodney King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-king/)

> [Of course we in Europe also have epidemic, structural sexual violence. Violence is always the dark core of dominance. The men who are now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schwarzer/of-course-we-in-europe-also-have-epidemic-structural-sexual-violence/)

[Alice Schwarzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schwarzer/)

> [ \[Albert Camus\]didn't have much hope that things would work out, but he wanted them to. Algeria had reached such a degree of violence that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-camus/albert-camus-didn-t-have-much-hope-that-things-would-work-out-but-he/)

[Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-camus/)

> [I will not respond to violence with violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jovenel-moise/i-will-not-respond-to-violence-with-violence/)

[Jovenel Moise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jovenel-moise/)

> [Time does us violence; it is the only violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/time-does-us-violence-it-is-the-only-violence/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [The violence is the violence. I understand that we're sometimes squeamish about it, but I think that strength needs to be called on once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bryk/the-violence-is-the-violence-i-understand-that-we-re-sometimes/)

[Greg Bryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bryk/)

> [Beware of those who would use violence, too often it is violence they want and neither truth nor freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/beware-of-those-who-would-use-violence-too-often-it-is-violence-they/)

[Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/)

> [“The TRUTH is...If more men would rise up and speak against domestic violence, there would be less(V.A.W.)Violence Against Women in our world! Why Should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/the-truth-is-if-more-men-would-rise-up-and-speak-against-domestic/)

[Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/)

> [If you see the blood, then there's an easy association of the violence. The violence that happens when there isn't blood is actually much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/if-you-see-the-blood-then-there-s-an-easy-association-of-the-violence/)

[Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/)

> [I think, personally, nothing comes from violence other than more violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/i-think-personally-nothing-comes-from-violence-other-than-more/)

[Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/)

## More by Pope John Paul II

> [the path of goodness had a name it is called Love in it we find the key to every hope and has it's root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-path-of-goodness-had-a-name-it-is-called-love-in-it-we-find-the/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Man always travels along precipices... His truest obligation is to keep his balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/man-always-travels-along-precipices-his-truest-obligation-is-to-keep/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The way Jesus shows you is not easy. Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain. Do not lose heart! The steeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-way-jesus-shows-you-is-not-easy-rather-it-is-like-a-path-winding/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The Church must persist in the teaching transmitted to her by Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-church-must-persist-in-the-teaching-transmitted-to-her-by-christ/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [And Christ, through His own salvific suffering, is very much present in every human suffering, and can act from within that suffering by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/and-christ-through-his-own-salvific-suffering-is-very-much-present-in/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [“What is the difference between “creator” and “craftsman”? The one who creates bestows being itself, he brings something out of nothing— ex nihilo sui…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/what-is-the-difference-between-creator-and-craftsman-the-one-who/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The enemy of the human race...invented a means never before heard of, by which he might hinder the preaching of God's word of Salvation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-enemy-of-the-human-race-invented-a-means-never-before-heard-of-by/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Jesus Christ has taken the lead on the way of the cross. He has suffered first. He does not drive us toward suffering but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/jesus-christ-has-taken-the-lead-on-the-way-of-the-cross-he-has/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Do you think that there can be anything greater than to bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/do-you-think-that-there-can-be-anything-greater-than-to-bring-jesus/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Do not be afraid to be saints. Follow Jesus Christ who is the source of freedom and light. Be open to the Lord so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/do-not-be-afraid-to-be-saints-follow-jesus-christ-who-is-the-source/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Utilitarianism is a civilization of production and of use, a civilization of "things" and not of "persons," a civilization in which persons are used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/utilitarianism-is-a-civilization-of-production-and-of-use-a/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [ The world \[is\] tired of ideology \[and\] is opening itself to the truth. The time has come when the splendor of this truth has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-world-is-tired-of-ideology-and-is-opening-itself-to-the-truth-the/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The only struggle which religions can justify, the only struggle worthy of humans, is the moral struggle against humanity's own disordered passions, against every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-only-struggle-which-religions-can-justify-the-only-struggle/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The cemetery of the victims of human cruelty in our century is extended to include yet another vast cemetery, that of the unborn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-cemetery-of-the-victims-of-human-cruelty-in-our-century-is/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The Church counters the culture of death with the culture of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-church-counters-the-culture-of-death-with-the-culture-of-love/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

[Explore all 525 Pope John Paul II quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

## More Crime quotes

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/)

[Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/)

[Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/)

> [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/)

[Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/)

> [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [Too much virtue can be criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/too-much-virtue-can-be-criminal/)

[Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/)

> [The federal prison population increased by almost 800 percent between 1980 and 2013, often at a far faster rate than the Bureau of Prisons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/the-federal-prison-population-increased-by-almost-800-percent-between/)

[Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/)

> [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/)

[Avis Bohlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avis-bohlen/)

[Browse all 8,359 Crime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pope John Paul II"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-violence-violence-kills-what-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Crime"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-violence-violence-kills-what-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/pope-john-paul-ii-485_crime_social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-vio_2490607.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/pope-john-paul-ii-485_crime_social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-vio_2490607.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/pope-john-paul-ii-485_crime_social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-vio_2490607.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.” — Pope John Paul II",
                "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": "Pope John Paul II",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Social justice cannot be attained by...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-violence-violence-kills-what-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/social-justice-cannot-be-attained-by-violence-violence-kills-what-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
