--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is the object of human life? The…" description: "\"“What is the object of human life? The enlightened conservative does not believe that the end or aim of life is competition; or success; or enjoyment; ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/russell-kirk-6909_conservatism_what-is-the-object-of-human-life-the-enl_1134731.jpg" --- # What is the object of human life? The enlightened… ![“What is the object of human life? The enlightened conservative does not believe that the end or aim of life is competition; or success; or enjoyment; or longevity; or power; or possessions. He believes instead, that the object of life is Love. He knows that the just and ordered society is that in…” quote by Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/russell-kirk-6909_conservatism_what-is-the-object-of-human-life-the-enl_1134731.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/russell-kirk-6909_conservatism_what-is-the-object-of-human-life-the-enl_1134731.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/russell-kirk-6909_conservatism_what-is-the-object-of-human-life-the-enl_1134731.jpg) > ““What is the object of human life? The enlightened conservative does not believe that the end or aim of life is competition; or success; or enjoyment; or longevity; or power; or possessions. He believes instead, that the object of life is Love. He knows that the just and ordered society is that in which Love governs us, so far as Love ever can reign in this world of sorrows; and he knows that the anarchical or the tyrannical society is that in which Love lies corrupt. He has learnt that Love is the source of all being, and that Hell itself is ordained by Love. He understands that Death, when we have finished the part that was assigned to us, is the reward of Love. And he apprehends the truth that the greatest happiness ever granted to a man is the privilege of being happy in the hour of his death. He has no intention of converting this human society of ours into an efficient machine for efficient machine-operators, dominated by master mechanics. Men are put into this world, he realizes, to struggle, to suffer, to contend against the evil that is in their neighbors and in themselves, and to aspire toward the triumph of Love. They are put into this world to live like men, and to die like men. He seeks to preserve a society which allows men to attain manhood, rather than keeping them within bonds of perpetual childhood. With Dante, he looks upward from this place of slime, this world of gorgons and chimeras, toward the light which gives Love to this poor earth and all the stars. And, with Burke, he knows that "they will never love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate.”” [Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The purpose of life is love, not competition, success, or power; a just society is guided by love, while tyrannical ones are corrupted by it. **In simple terms:** Life’s aim is love, not rivalry or material gain. Key Takeaway Prioritize love over competition. Themes love purpose society morality human nature Mood reflective hopeful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - political activism - community building - conflict resolution Key Concepts conservatism philosophy ethics spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How can love influence societal structures? - What limits does love face in politics? A Different Perspective Love alone cannot solve systemic oppression without structural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conservatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatism/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Efficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-lies/) ## Related quotes > [“The enlightened conservative does not believe that the end or aim of life is competition, or success or enjoyment; or longevity; or power; or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-kirk/the-enlightened-conservative-does-not-believe-that-the-end-or-aim-of/) [Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/) > [ “Men are put into this world, he \[the enlightened conservative\] realizes, to struggle, to suffer, to contend against the evil that is in their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-kirk/men-are-put-into-this-world-he-the-enlightened-conservative-realizes/) [Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/) > [“...for the interests of rulers require that their subjects should be poor in spirit, and that there should be no strong bond of friendship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/for-the-interests-of-rulers-require-that-their-subjects-should-be/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Marrying the first person who offers you a decent position in society. Love can wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/marrying-the-first-person-who-offers-you-a-decent-position-in-society/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There's always going to be someone prettier, smarter, funnier, better than you - something - but you're you. And no one can take that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-osbourne/there-s-always-going-to-be-someone-prettier-smarter-funnier-better/) [Kelly Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-osbourne/) > [“what we love is too much in the past, consists too much in the time that we have spent together for us to require…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/what-we-love-is-too-much-in-the-past-consists-too-much-in-the-time/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [In order to acquire a growing and lasting respect in society, it is a good thing, if you possess great talent, to give, early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/in-order-to-acquire-a-growing-and-lasting-respect-in-society-it-is-a/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [What grows from our head is something that we should love. 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Buckley Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr-2/) > [Conservative feminism is such an artificial term that doesn't mean much to me. For me conservatism means accepting reality. 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He knows that the just and ordered society is that in which Love governs us, so far as Love ever can reign in this world of sorrows; and he knows that the anarchical or the tyrannical society is that in which Love lies corrupt. He has learnt that Love is the source of all being, and that Hell itself is ordained by Love. He understands that Death, when we have finished the part that was assigned to us, is the reward of Love. And he apprehends the truth that the greatest happiness ever granted to a man is the privilege of being happy in the hour of his death. He has no intention of converting this human society of ours into an efficient machine for efficient machine-operators, dominated by master mechanics. Men are put into this world, he realizes, to struggle, to suffer, to contend against the evil that is in their neighbors and in themselves, and to aspire toward the triumph of Love. They are put into this world to live like men, and to die like men. He seeks to preserve a society which allows men to attain manhood, rather than keeping them within bonds of perpetual childhood. With Dante, he looks upward from this place of slime, this world of gorgons and chimeras, toward the light which gives Love to this poor earth and all the stars. 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