--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Neither in war nor yet at law ought any…" description: "\"“Neither in war nor yet at law ought any man to use every way of escaping death. For often in battle there is no doubt that if a man will throw away hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/socrates-405_arms_neither-in-war-nor-yet-at-law-ought-any_1674703.jpg" --- # Neither in war nor yet at law ought any man to use every… ![“Neither in war nor yet at law ought any man to use every way of escaping death. For often in battle there is no doubt that if a man will throw away his arms, and fall on his knees before his pursuers, he may escape death; and in other dangers there are other ways of escaping death, if a man is…” quote by Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/socrates-405_arms_neither-in-war-nor-yet-at-law-ought-any_1674703.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/socrates-405_arms_neither-in-war-nor-yet-at-law-ought-any_1674703.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/socrates-405_arms_neither-in-war-nor-yet-at-law-ought-any_1674703.jpg) > ““Neither in war nor yet at law ought any man to use every way of escaping death. For often in battle there is no doubt that if a man will throw away his arms, and fall on his knees before his pursuers, he may escape death; and in other dangers there are other ways of escaping death, if a man is willing to say and do anything. The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death.”” [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoiding death is less important than avoiding immoral actions; ethical integrity outweighs survival instincts. **In simple terms:** Ethics matter more than staying alive. Key Takeaway Prioritize moral choices over fear of death. Themes ethics integrity life and death philosophy Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - war - legal dilemmas - personal crises - decision making Key Concepts moral philosophy Stoicism Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑preservation with ethical standards? - When does survival justify compromise? A Different Perspective Moral dilemmas can be complex and context‑dependent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Unrighteousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unrighteousness/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-difficulty-my-friends-is-not-in-avoiding-death-but-in-avoiding/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Getting hurt and narrowly escaping death is sort of a thing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/getting-hurt-and-narrowly-escaping-death-is-sort-of-a-thing-for-me/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [“Now, narrowly escaping death didn’t warrant his attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wight/now-narrowly-escaping-death-didn-t-warrant-his-attention/) [Will Wight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wight/) > [“He would never want to diminish that event, that blow. It was nothing less than a calamity. It has shrunk his world, turned him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/he-would-never-want-to-diminish-that-event-that-blow-it-was-nothing/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [Never underestimate the human capacity for wishful thinking and willful blindness,' said Miles. Such as a whole society of people who became so wrapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/never-underestimate-the-human-capacity-for-wishful-thinking-and/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“There's got to be more to life than just avoiding death”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-cobb/there-s-got-to-be-more-to-life-than-just-avoiding-death/) C.H. Cobb > [The utilitarian behaves sensibly in all that is required for preservation but never takes account of the fact that he must die... His whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-bloom/the-utilitarian-behaves-sensibly-in-all-that-is-required-for-2/) [Allan Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-bloom/) > [Achieving life is not the equivalent of avoiding death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/achieving-life-is-not-the-equivalent-of-avoiding-death/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“Saving life and avoiding death are typically shorthand for far less evocative terms: lengthening life and delaying death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-gibert-welch/saving-life-and-avoiding-death-are-typically-shorthand-for-far-less/) H. Gibert Welch > [Whether by a Mack truck or by heart failure or faulty lungs, death happens. 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So to confess is to breathe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vonette-bright/god-is-faithful-and-just-to-forgive-us-our-sins-and-to-cleanse-us/) [Vonette Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vonette-bright/) > [Close investigation will show that the primary cause of oppression and injustice, of unrighteousness, irregularity and disorder, is the people's lack of religious faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/close-investigation-will-show-that-the-primary-cause-of-oppression/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [Ye cannot serve God and mammon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/ye-cannot-serve-god-and-mammon/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) ## More by Socrates > [By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/by-all-means-marry-if-you-get-a-good-wife-you-ll-be-happy-if-you-get/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/falling-down-is-not-a-failure-failure-comes-when-you-stay-where-you/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Do not go through life like leaf blown from here to there believing whatever you are told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/do-not-go-through-life-like-leaf-blown-from-here-to-there-believing/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [If the whole world depends on today's youth, I can't see the world lasting another 100 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/if-the-whole-world-depends-on-today-s-youth-i-can-t-see-the-world/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“I only know, I know nothing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-only-know-i-know-nothing/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-cannot-teach-anybody-anything-i-can-only-make-them-think/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [If measure and symmetry are absent from any composition in any degree, ruin awaits both the ingredients and the composition... 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So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [It's been a long time since I asked anything of heaven, and my arms still haven't come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-asked-anything-of-heaven-and-my-arms/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. 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"I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Neither in war nor yet at law ought any man to use every way of escaping death. For often in battle there is no doubt that if a man will throw away his arms, and fall on his knees before his pursuers, he may escape death; and in other dangers there are other ways of escaping death, if a man is willing to say and do anything. 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