--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All social cooperation on a larger scale…" description: "\"All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.\" — Reinhold Niebuhr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_coercion_all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale_214400.png" --- # All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most… ![“All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.” quote by Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_coercion_all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale_214400.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_coercion_all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale_214400.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_coercion_all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale_214400.png) > “All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.” [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Large-scale cooperation needs some coercion because individual interests conflict with collective needs. **In simple terms:** Coercion is required for big group cooperation. Key Takeaway Recognize the trade‑off between freedom and order. Themes society cooperation power ethics Mood critical analytical Type theoretical political When to use this quote - government policy - corporate governance - community projects - public health initiatives Key Concepts political theory social contract collective action Questions to Reflect On - When does coercion become oppression? - How can voluntary compliance be fostered? A Different Perspective Coercion can erode trust and autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coercion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion/) [Cooperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperation/) [Intimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimate/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social group](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-group/) [Social groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-groups/) [Teamwork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teamwork/) ## Related quotes > [Because politics rests on an irreducible measure of coercion, it can never become a perfect realm of perfect love and justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/because-politics-rests-on-an-irreducible-measure-of-coercion-it-can/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [When some of the gangs got involved with the drug trade, particularlythe crack cocaine trade, and the lethal violence started to flare up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meda-chesney-lind/when-some-of-the-gangs-got-involved-with-the-drug-trade/) [Meda Chesney-Lind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meda-chesney-lind/) > [Personality must be educated, and personality cannot be educated by confining its operations to technical and specialized things, or to the less important relationships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/personality-must-be-educated-and-personality-cannot-be-educated-by/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [When I was young, I wasn't a misfit or anything. I had friends in all the different social groups. But I had issues -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-vai/when-i-was-young-i-wasn-t-a-misfit-or-anything-i-had-friends-in-all/) [Steve Vai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-vai/) > [ I just feel like the people who are discouraged about religion, it's \[really\] the connotation of people that go to church. People that go… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-just-feel-like-the-people-who-are-discouraged-about-religion-it-s/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [“Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accept the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay-and claims a halo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pacifism-is-a-shifty-doctrine-under-which-a-man-accept-the-benefits/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Side by side with the miseries of underdevelopment...we find ourselves up against a form of superdevelopment, equally inadmissable. This superdevelopment consists in an excessive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/side-by-side-with-the-miseries-of-underdevelopment-we-find-ourselves/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [In high school, I was friends with everybody. I had my core group of friends, but I could flow through different social groups pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-mendes/in-high-school-i-was-friends-with-everybody-i-had-my-core-group-of/) [Camila Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-mendes/) > [As a group, housewives to-day suffer more from social isolation and loss of purpose than any other social group, except, perhaps, the old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alva-myrdal/as-a-group-housewives-to-day-suffer-more-from-social-isolation-and/) [Alva Myrdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alva-myrdal/) > [The awareness of the all-surpassing importance of social groups is now general property in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-huizinga/the-awareness-of-the-all-surpassing-importance-of-social-groups-is/) [Johan Huizinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-huizinga/) > [Beings who are born not only unaware of, but quite indifferent to, the aims and habits of the social group have to be rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/beings-who-are-born-not-only-unaware-of-but-quite-indifferent-to-the/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The more backwoodish a social group, juvenile or adult, the stricter its conception of the normal, and the readier it will ridicule any departure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-more-backwoodish-a-social-group-juvenile-or-adult-the-stricter/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [Because our ancestors lived in social groups that changed slowly, because they encountered the same people throughout their lives, they could keep almost every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/because-our-ancestors-lived-in-social-groups-that-changed-slowly/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [... each type of civilization has had diseases peculiar to it and at each period the various social groups in any community also have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/each-type-of-civilization-has-had-diseases-peculiar-to-it-and-at-each/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [A social group can, indeed must, already exercise 'leadership' before winning governmental power (this is indeed one of the principal conditions for the winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-gramsci/a-social-group-can-indeed-must-already-exercise-leadership-before/) [Antonio Gramsci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-gramsci/) ## More by Reinhold Niebuhr > [There are evidently limits to the achievements of science; and there are irresolvable contradictions both between prosperity and virtue, and between happiness and ''the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/there-are-evidently-limits-to-the-achievements-of-science-and-there/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Perhapsthemost sublimeinsights oftheJewishprophets and the Christian gospel is the knowledge that since perfection is love, the apprehension of perfection is at once the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/perhapsthemost-sublimeinsights-ofthejewishprophets-and-the-christian/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The essence of man is his freedom. Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Liberalism makes this mistake in regard to private property and Marxism makes it in regard to socialized property... The Marxist illusion is partly derived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/liberalism-makes-this-mistake-in-regard-to-private-property-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Human beings are endowed by nature with both selfish and unselfish impulses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/human-beings-are-endowed-by-nature-with-both-selfish-and-unselfish/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [There are historic situations in which refusal to defend the inheritance of a civilization, however imperfect, against tyranny and aggression may result in consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/there-are-historic-situations-in-which-refusal-to-defend-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-accept-the-things-i-cannot-change/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Freedom is necessary for two reasons. It's necessary for the individual, because the individual, no matter how good the society is, every individual has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/freedom-is-necessary-for-two-reasons-it-s-necessary-for-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The pretensions of final truth are always partlyan effort to obscure a darkly felt consciousness of the limits of human knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-pretensions-of-final-truth-are-always-partlyan-effort-to-obscure/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Man is always worse than most people suspect, but also generally better than most people dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/man-is-always-worse-than-most-people-suspect-but-also-generally/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [When a church reaches up beyond its group and tries to enforce its standards upon a society that doesn't accept these standards, and perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/when-a-church-reaches-up-beyond-its-group-and-tries-to-enforce-its/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [...(I)ndividual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence and not in its rational capacity for conceptual and analytic procedures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-ndividual-selfhood-is-expressed-in-the-self-s-capacity-for-self/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The whole art of politics consists in directing rationally the irrationalities of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-whole-art-of-politics-consists-in-directing-rationally-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Religion is so frequently a source of confusion in political life, and so frequently dangerous to democracy, precisely because it introduces absolutes into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/religion-is-so-frequently-a-source-of-confusion-in-political-life-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Self-righteousness is the inevitable fruit of simple moral judgments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/self-righteousness-is-the-inevitable-fruit-of-simple-moral-judgments/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) [Explore all 200 Reinhold Niebuhr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## More Coercion quotes > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“Love is not coercion, and the state is only an agent of coercion. It has no other function and can work no other way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mcdurmon/love-is-not-coercion-and-the-state-is-only-an-agent-of-coercion-it/) Joel McDurmon > [“Therapy requires a collaborative working relationship in which both partners act on the basis of their implicit confidence in the value and efficacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lewis-herman/therapy-requires-a-collaborative-working-relationship-in-which-both/) [Judith Lewis Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lewis-herman/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [There’s one thing that’s been 'learned' maybe from Tunisia and Egypt that I think is a mistake. And that is that the existing ruler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sharp/there-s-one-thing-that-s-been-learned-maybe-from-tunisia-and-egypt/) [Gene Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sharp/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“Men are moral beings in their untrammelled nature. If constraint and coercion can once be removed they will be happy and if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/men-are-moral-beings-in-their-untrammelled-nature-if-constraint-and/) [Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/) > [“If you require force to promote your ideal, there is something wrong with your ideal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jsb-morse/if-you-require-force-to-promote-your-ideal-there-is-something-wrong/) JSB Morse > [The idea of painless, nonthreatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence. If you think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/the-idea-of-painless-nonthreatening-coercion-is-an-illusion-fear-is/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [To say that we mutually agree to coercion is not to say that we are required to enjoy it, or even to pretend we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hardin/to-say-that-we-mutually-agree-to-coercion-is-not-to-say-that-we-are/) [Garrett Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hardin/) > [“There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing," Ann liked to say--it was a favourite apologia, indeed, for many of her misdemeanours. "There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/there-are-always-a-dozen-reasons-for-doing-nothing-ann-liked-to-say/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The state is the only institution entitled to apply coercion and compulsion and to inflict harm upon individuals. This tremendous power cannot be abandoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-state-is-the-only-institution-entitled-to-apply-coercion-and/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [So what is government?... Very simply, it is an agency of coercion. Of course, there are other agencies of coercion - such as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/so-what-is-government-very-simply-it-is-an-agency-of-coercion-of/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [“Coercing attitude drains your strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/coercing-attitude-drains-your-strength/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) [Browse all 310 Coercion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coercion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Reinhold Niebuhr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coercion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_coercion_all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale_214400.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_coercion_all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale_214400.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_coercion_all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale_214400.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.” — Reinhold Niebuhr", "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": "Reinhold Niebuhr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All social cooperation on a larger...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/#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 } } ] } ```