--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To suppose such a thing possible as a…" description: "\"To suppose such a thing possible as a society, in whichmen, who are able and willing to work, cannot support their families, and ought, with a great pa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/william-cobbett-8980_able_to-suppose-such-a-thing-possible-as-a-so_892265.png" --- # To suppose such a thing possible as a society, in… ![“To suppose such a thing possible as a society, in whichmen, who are able and willing to work, cannot support their families, and ought, with a great part of the women, to be compelled to lead a life of celibacy, for fear of having children to be starved; to suppose such a thing possible is…” quote by William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/william-cobbett-8980_able_to-suppose-such-a-thing-possible-as-a-so_892265.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/william-cobbett-8980_able_to-suppose-such-a-thing-possible-as-a-so_892265.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/william-cobbett-8980_able_to-suppose-such-a-thing-possible-as-a-so_892265.png) > “To suppose such a thing possible as a society, in whichmen, who are able and willing to work, cannot support their families, and ought, with a great part of the women, to be compelled to lead a life of celibacy, for fear of having children to be starved; to suppose such a thing possible is monstrous.” [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizes a society where able workers cannot sustain families, forcing women into celibacy to avoid starving children; calls it monstrous. **In simple terms:** Workers can't support families, leading to forced celibacy; it's monstrous. Key Takeaway Advocate economic policies that ensure workers can feed families. Themes poverty family socialjustice gender economics Mood concerned critical Type political social historical When to use this quote - rural economies - family planning - social reform - policy advocacy Key Concepts labor rights social welfare population dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance labor rights with family support? - What policies prevent forced celibacy due to poverty? A Different Perspective May overlook individual agency and cultural factors influencing family size. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Celibacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celibacy/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Having children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-children/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [Most people that commit to a life of celibacy weren't leaving that much on the table in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/most-people-that-commit-to-a-life-of-celibacy-weren-t-leaving-that/) [Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/) > [“To some extent a life of celibacy is a picture of how all of us are to live, containing our passions for God’s purposes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/to-some-extent-a-life-of-celibacy-is-a-picture-of-how-all-of-us-are/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [Other people are quite dreadful. The only possible society is oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/other-people-are-quite-dreadful-the-only-possible-society-is-oneself/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The only hope of socialism resides in those who have already brought about in themselves, as far as is possible in the society of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-only-hope-of-socialism-resides-in-those-who-have-already-brought/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“The only possible society is oneself. To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-only-possible-society-is-oneself-to-love-oneself-is-the-beginning/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [In the name of celibacy, sex has been repressed for centuries and you have become just full of sexuality. Rather than transcending it you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/in-the-name-of-celibacy-sex-has-been-repressed-for-centuries-and-you/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“It is better to lock up your heart with a merciless padlock, than to fall in love with someone who doesn't know what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/it-is-better-to-lock-up-your-heart-with-a-merciless-padlock-than-to/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“Not just the celibacy thing but because he has God’s ear, a line on the mysteries. That’s impressive to girls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-elkin/not-just-the-celibacy-thing-but-because-he-has-god-s-ear-a-line-on/) [Stanley Elkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-elkin/) > [It is impossible to believe that the same God who permitted His own son to die a bachelor regards celibacy as an actual sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/it-is-impossible-to-believe-that-the-same-god-who-permitted-his-own/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Yes, hypothetically, western Catholicism could revise the theme of celibacy. ... 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