--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is not to say that power and…" description: "\"“This is not to say that power and security are the sole or even the most important objectives of mankind; as a species we prize beauty, truth, and goo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c63/robert-gilpin-21696_beauty_this-is-not-to-say-that-power-and-securi_938057.jpg" --- # This is not to say that power and security are the sole or… ![“This is not to say that power and security are the sole or even the most important objectives of mankind; as a species we prize beauty, truth, and goodness. . . . What the realist seeks to stress is that all these more noble goals will be lost unless one makes provision for one’s security in the…” quote by Robert Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c63/robert-gilpin-21696_beauty_this-is-not-to-say-that-power-and-securi_938057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c63/robert-gilpin-21696_beauty_this-is-not-to-say-that-power-and-securi_938057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c63/robert-gilpin-21696_beauty_this-is-not-to-say-that-power-and-securi_938057.jpg) > ““This is not to say that power and security are the sole or even the most important objectives of mankind; as a species we prize beauty, truth, and goodness. . . . What the realist seeks to stress is that all these more noble goals will be lost unless one makes provision for one’s security in the power struggle among social groups. . . . A moral commitment lies at the heart of realism. . . . What Morgenthau and many other realists have in common is a belief that ethical and political behavior will fail unless it takes into account the actual practice of states and the teachings of sound theory.”” [Robert Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gilpin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realism argues that security and power are prerequisites for achieving higher moral goals like beauty, truth, and goodness, because without security those goals cannot be sustained. **In simple terms:** Security is needed to protect higher values. Key Takeaway Ensure safety before pursuing ideals. Themes realism security ethics politics Mood cautious reflective analytical Type philosophical political academic When to use this quote - international negotiations - defense policy - human rights advocacy - environmental treaties Key Concepts power dynamics ethical pragmatism state behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance security with moral aspirations? - What safeguards prevent power from corrupting noble goals? A Different Perspective Security alone cannot guarantee moral outcomes; power can be misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Morgenthau Realists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morgenthau-realists-1581761/) [Power struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-struggle/) [Realism Morgenthau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realism-morgenthau-1581760/) [Realist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realist/) [Realist Seeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realist-seeks-1581762/) [Realists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realists/) [Social group](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-group/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Sooner or later, many idealists transform themselves into disheartened realists who mistakenly believe that giving up is the same thing as being realistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/sooner-or-later-many-idealists-transform-themselves-into-disheartened/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The realists do not take the photograph for a 'copy' of reality, but for an emanation of past reality, a magic, not an art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/the-realists-do-not-take-the-photograph-for-a-copy-of-reality-but-for/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [men are not realists - only women are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/men-are-not-realists-only-women-are/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [Realists do not fear the results of their study.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/realists-do-not-fear-the-results-of-their-study/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [What reality was ever made by realists?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/what-reality-was-ever-made-by-realists/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [I believe that history is not made by cynics; it is made by realists who are not afraid to dream. 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