---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not law, in any conceivable form…"
description: "\"“It is not law, in any conceivable form, that is responsible for the tensions and alienation besetting modern man; rather, it is the increasing lack of..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/rene-girard-8541_denunciation_it-is-not-law-in-any-conceivable-form-th_2688363.jpg"
---

#  It is not law, in any conceivable form, that is…

![“It is not law, in any conceivable form, that is responsible for the tensions and alienation besetting modern man; rather, it is the increasing lack of law. The perpetual denunciation of the law arises from a typically modern sense of resentment - a feedback of desire that purports to be directed…” quote by René Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/rene-girard-8541_denunciation_it-is-not-law-in-any-conceivable-form-th_2688363.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/rene-girard-8541_denunciation_it-is-not-law-in-any-conceivable-form-th_2688363.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/rene-girard-8541_denunciation_it-is-not-law-in-any-conceivable-form-th_2688363.jpg)

> ““It is not law, in any conceivable form, that is responsible for the tensions and alienation besetting modern man; rather, it is the increasing lack of law. The perpetual denunciation of the law arises from a typically modern sense of resentment - a feedback of desire that purports to be directed against the law but one that is actually aimed at the model-obstacle whose dominant position the subject stubbornly refuses to acknowledge. The more frenzied the mimetic process becomes, caught up in the confusion of constantly changing forms, the more unwilling men are to recognize that they have made an obstacle of the model and a model of the obstacle. Here we encounter a true "unconscious" and one that can obviously assume many forms.””

[René Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/)

## About This Quote

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

Modern alienation stems not from law itself but from its erosion, causing people to resent the underlying model rather than the law.

**In simple terms:** Lack of law creates resentment toward its underlying model.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address the loss of guiding structures.

Themes

alienation law resentment model unconscious

Mood

critical analytical reflective

Type

philosophical critical theoretical

When to use this quote

- political discourse
- legal reform
- cultural criticism
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

mimetic desire structural analysis social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- How does the erosion of law affect personal identity?
- What structures can replace the lost model?

A Different Perspective

The argument may overlook individuals who find meaning despite legal breakdowns.

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[Denunciation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denunciation/) [Denunciation Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denunciation-law-2637355/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Perpetual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-perpetual-2637360/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Modern man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-man/) [Perpetual Denunciation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perpetual-denunciation-2637356/) [Tensions Alienation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tensions-alienation-2637358/)

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