Rich and poor Quote by William Hurrell Mallock
““Some will be always strong, and some will be always weak; and though, if there is no God, no divine and fatherly source of order, there will be, trust me, no aristocracies, there will still be tyrannies. There will still be rich and poor; and that will then mean happy and miserable; and the poor will be--as I sometimes think they are already--but a mass of groaning machinery, without even the semblance of rationality; and the rich, with only the semblance of it, but a set of gaudy, dancing marionettes, which is the machinery’s one work to keep in motion.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Divine Source of Order, 1905
Without a divine moral anchor, societies still form hierarchies and oppression, but lack true justice.
In simple terms: Even without God, societies create hierarchies.
Key Takeaway
Recognize moral foundations beyond religion.
Themes
politics
ethics
society
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- government policy
- education reform
- community organizing
- philosophical debate
Key Concepts
power structures
social inequality
Questions to Reflect On
- What moral basis should guide societies?
- Can justice exist without belief in a higher power?
A Different Perspective
Secular ethics can also justify hierarchies.
