---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lawyer without history or literature is…"
description: "\"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/walter-scott-775_architect_a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-i_3136744.jpg"
---

#  A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a…

![“A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect.” quote by Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/walter-scott-775_architect_a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-i_3136744.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/walter-scott-775_architect_a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-i_3136744.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/walter-scott-775_architect_a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-i_3136744.jpg)

> “A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect.”

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

## About This Quote

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

A lawyer lacking knowledge of history or literature is likened to a craftsman, whereas those who study them can claim the status of an architect.

**In simple terms:** Lawyers need humanities to design better practice.

Key Takeaway

Study humanities to elevate legal work.

Themes

education law humanities

Mood

analytical inquisitive

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- law school curriculum
- legal research
- courtroom strategy
- policy drafting

Key Concepts

interdisciplinary learning professional development

Questions to Reflect On

- Can lawyers integrate humanities?
- What benefits arise from literary knowledge?

A Different Perspective

Not all lawyers have time for extensive reading.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Mechanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanic/)

## Related quotes

> [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [String theory is the most developed theory with the capacity to unite general relativity and quantum mechanics in a consistent manner. I do believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/string-theory-is-the-most-developed-theory-with-the-capacity-to-unite/)

[Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/)

> [I suffer depression only in the sense that I am a writer. We don't have proper jobs to go to. We are on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/i-suffer-depression-only-in-the-sense-that-i-am-a-writer-we-don-t/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [A popular feel for scientific endeavors should, if possible, be restored given the needs of the twenty-first century. This does not mean that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/a-popular-feel-for-scientific-endeavors-should-if-possible-be/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [I find it only natural for a storyteller to be interested in storytelling and, for anyone who spends the better part of his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lock/i-find-it-only-natural-for-a-storyteller-to-be-interested-in/)

[Norman Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lock/)

> [Once I came to really understand the mechanics of three-act structure, my life got a great deal easier. It doesn't tell you how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/once-i-came-to-really-understand-the-mechanics-of-three-act-structure/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [I worked in a steel mill, I worked in a foundry, I worked in a paper mill, I worked in a chemical refinery, construction,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-j-rodr-guez/i-worked-in-a-steel-mill-i-worked-in-a-foundry-i-worked-in-a-paper/)

[Luis J. Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-j-rodr-guez/)

> [I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, that the working men are the basis of all governments, for the plain reason that they are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-agree-with-you-mr-chairman-that-the-working-men-are-the-basis-of/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [I told my friend - we were working on a movie together - and he gave me a script and asked me to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-souza/i-told-my-friend-we-were-working-on-a-movie-together-and-he-gave-me-a/)

[Karla Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-souza/)

> [I read Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Reader's Digest... I read some responsible journalism, and from that, I form my own opinions. I also happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-coleman/i-read-popular-mechanics-popular-science-reader-s-digest-i-read-some/)

[Gary Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-coleman/)

> [The Snow White the midnight the moon tales of the mechanics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/the-snow-white-the-midnight-the-moon-tales-of-the-mechanics/)

[Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/)

> [I am a figure skater, which helps me appreciate Newton's theory of mechanics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/i-am-a-figure-skater-which-helps-me-appreciate-newton-s-theory-of/)

[Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/)

> [You think that it’s not magic that keeps you alive? Just ‘cause you understand the mechanics of how something works, doesn’t make it any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/you-think-that-it-s-not-magic-that-keeps-you-alive-just-cause-you/)

[Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/)

> [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/)

J. Willard Gibbs

> [I hadn't focused on mechanics since I signed professionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-zito/i-hadn-t-focused-on-mechanics-since-i-signed-professionally/)

[Barry Zito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-zito/)

## More by Walter Scott

> [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [Where shall the lover rest, Whom the fates sever From his true maiden's breast, Parted for ever? Where, through groves deep and high, Sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/where-shall-the-lover-rest-whom-the-fates-sever-from-his-true-maiden/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [O! many a shaft, at random sent, Finds mark the archer little meant! And many a word, at random spoken, May soothe or wound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/o-many-a-shaft-at-random-sent-finds-mark-the-archer-little-meant-and/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [And better had they ne'er been born, Who read to doubt, or read to scorn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/and-better-had-they-ne-er-been-born-who-read-to-doubt-or-read-to-scorn/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [Where is the coward that would not dare to fight for such a land as Scotland?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/where-is-the-coward-that-would-not-dare-to-fight-for-such-a-land-as/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [Loud o'er my head though awful thunders roll, And vivid lightnings flash from pole to pole, Yet 'tis Thy voice, my God, that bids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/loud-o-er-my-head-though-awful-thunders-roll-and-vivid-lightnings/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [The race of humankind would perish did they cease to aid each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/the-race-of-humankind-would-perish-did-they-cease-to-aid-each-other/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [“but he had only received that sort of answer usually given by those who are more obstinate in following their own course, than strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/but-he-had-only-received-that-sort-of-answer-usually-given-by-those/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [“Love rules the court, the camp, the grove, and men below, and the saints above, for love is heaven, and heaven is love. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/love-rules-the-court-the-camp-the-grove-and-men-below-and-the-saints/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [Fortune may raise up or abuse the ordinary mortal, but the sage and the soldier should have minds beyond her control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/fortune-may-raise-up-or-abuse-the-ordinary-mortal-but-the-sage-and/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [But woe awaits a country when She sees the tears of bearded men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/but-woe-awaits-a-country-when-she-sees-the-tears-of-bearded-men/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [In peace, Love tunes the shepherd's reed; In war, he mounts the warrior's steed; In halls, in gay attire is seen; In hamlets, dances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/in-peace-love-tunes-the-shepherd-s-reed-in-war-he-mounts-the-warrior/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [Honour is a homicide and a bloodspiller, that gangs about making frays in the street; but Credit is a decent honest man, that sits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/honour-is-a-homicide-and-a-bloodspiller-that-gangs-about-making-frays/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [“The lovers of the chase say that the hare feels more agony during the pursuit of the greyhounds, than when she is struggling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/the-lovers-of-the-chase-say-that-the-hare-feels-more-agony-during-the/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [I am she, O most bucolical juvenal, under whose charge are placed the milky mothers of the herd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/i-am-she-o-most-bucolical-juvenal-under-whose-charge-are-placed-the/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

[Explore all 372 Walter Scott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

## More Architect quotes

> [When I am asked what I believe in, I say that I believe in architecture. Architecture is the mother of the arts. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meier/when-i-am-asked-what-i-believe-in-i-say-that-i-believe-in/)

[Richard Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meier/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-comes-to-getting-things-done-we-need-fewer-architects-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/)

[Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/)

> [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/)

[Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/)

> [Yes, Garnett Grey was an Architect. Were a psychoanalyst to approach him from behind, tap his shoulder, and say 'Humanity,' Garrett'd spin and respond,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-kidd/yes-garnett-grey-was-an-architect-were-a-psychoanalyst-to-approach/)

[Chip Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-kidd/)

> [The challenge of today's generation of architects is the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ross-barney/the-challenge-of-today-s-generation-of-architects-is-the-environment/)

[Carol Ross Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ross-barney/)

> [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Architects in the past have tended to concentrate their attention on the building as a static object. I believe dynamics are more important: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/architects-in-the-past-have-tended-to-concentrate-their-attention-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-house-budget-committee-and-one-of-the-chief/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [No matter what an architect may be at home, he becomes a monumentalist when he comes to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-louise-huxtable/no-matter-what-an-architect-may-be-at-home-he-becomes-a-monumentalist/)

[Ada Louise Huxtable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-louise-huxtable/)

> [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/)

[Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/)

[Browse all 836 Architect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Walter Scott"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-is-a-mechanic-a-mere-working/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Architect"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-is-a-mechanic-a-mere-working/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/walter-scott-775_architect_a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-i_3136744.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/walter-scott-775_architect_a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-i_3136744.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/360/walter-scott-775_architect_a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-i_3136744.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge…” — Walter Scott",
                "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": "Walter Scott",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A lawyer without history or literature...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-is-a-mechanic-a-mere-working/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/a-lawyer-without-history-or-literature-is-a-mechanic-a-mere-working/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
