--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The typical premodern ruler gave money to…" description: "\"“The typical premodern ruler gave money to priests, philosophers and poets in the hope that they would legitimise his rule and maintain the social orde..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/316/yuval-noah-harari-100_money_the-typical-premodern-ruler-gave-money-t_363100.jpg" --- # The typical premodern ruler gave money to priests… ![“The typical premodern ruler gave money to priests, philosophers and poets in the hope that they would legitimise his rule and maintain the social order.” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/316/yuval-noah-harari-100_money_the-typical-premodern-ruler-gave-money-t_363100.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/316/yuval-noah-harari-100_money_the-typical-premodern-ruler-gave-money-t_363100.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/316/yuval-noah-harari-100_money_the-typical-premodern-ruler-gave-money-t_363100.jpg) > ““The typical premodern ruler gave money to priests, philosophers and poets in the hope that they would legitimise his rule and maintain the social order.”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Premodern rulers funded intellectuals to legitimize authority and preserve social order. **In simple terms:** Rulers paid scholars to support their rule. Key Takeaway Understand how patronage shapes power structures. Themes history politics culture Mood analytical historical Type political educational When to use this quote - ancient courts - modern patronage - political propaganda Key Concepts legitimacy social control Questions to Reflect On - Why do leaders seek intellectual endorsement? - What are modern equivalents of this practice? A Different Perspective Patronage can also suppress dissent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Social order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-order/) ## Related quotes > [Now there are no priests or philosophers left, artists are the most important people in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-there-are-no-priests-or-philosophers-left-artists-are-the-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Now that we do not have priests and philosophers any more, artists are the most important people in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/now-that-we-do-not-have-priests-and-philosophers-any-more-artists-are/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [If cathedrals had been universities If dungeons of the Inquisition had been laboratories If Christians had believed in character instead of creed If they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-cathedrals-had-been-universities-if-dungeons-of-the-inquisition/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“The first to overcome the problem were the ancient Sumerians, who lived in southern Mesopotamia. 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