Conquest is the missionary of valor, and the hard impact of military virtues beats meanness out of the world.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Military conquest is often used to spread values, forcing virtue by defeating weaknesses.
- In plain terms
- War is sometimes justified as a way to improve the world by force.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize how force is used to justify moral progress.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can violence create virtue?
- Who decides what is valuable?
Another view
Conquest often causes more harm than it prevents.
More from Walter Bagehot
An influential member of parliament has not only to pay much money to become such, and to give time and labour, he has also to sacrifice his mind too - at leas…
Permalink to quote #34 Dullness in matters of government is a good sign, and not a bad one - in particular, dullness in parliamentary government is a test of its excellence, an indic…
Permalink to quote #36 An element of exaggeration clings to the popular judgment: great vices are made greater, great virtues greater also; interesting incidents are made more intere…
Permalink to quote #33
Related quotes
The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride th…
Genghis KhanGenghis Khan quote #11 Our Twentieth Century has proved to be more cruel than preceding centuries, and the first fifty years have not erased all its horrors. Our world is rent asunde…
Alexander SolzhenitsynAlexander Solzhenitsyn quote #29 Freebooter, n. A conqueror in a small way of business, whose annexations lack of the sanctifying merit of magnitude.
Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce quote #36