“The law is simply and solely made for the exploitation of those who do not understand it or of those who, for naked need, cannot obey it.”

Polly Peachum, in Act 3, scene 1, p. 74
Variant translation: The law was made for one thing alone, for the exploitation of those who don't understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from obeying it.
The Threepenny Opera (1928)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The law is simply and solely made for the exploitation of those who do not understand it or of those who, for naked nee…" by Bertolt Brecht?
Bertolt Brecht photo
Bertolt Brecht 102
German poet, playwright, theatre director 1898–1956

Related quotes

“There are times when the law jeopardizes those who obey it.”

Kathy Acker (1947–1997) American novelist, playwright, essayist, and poet

Source: Pussy, King of the Pirates

Cassandra Clare photo

“Those who cannot love do not understand it”

Source: Lord of Shadows

Anne Hutchinson photo

“As I do understand it, laws, commands, rules and edicts are for those who have not the light which makes plain the pathway. He who has God's grace in his heart cannot go astray.”

Anne Hutchinson (1591–1643) participant in the Antinomian Controversy

As quoted in Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Reformers (1907) by Elbert Hubbard.

“The victims of greed and exploitation will never get justice solely by relying upon the vision and generosity of those who hold power and seek their own gain.”

Kirby Page (1890–1957) American clergyman

The Personality of Jesus (1932)
Context: The victims of greed and exploitation will never get justice solely by relying upon the vision and generosity of those who hold power and seek their own gain. Power is blinding and corrupting and causes the slave-owner to imagine that it is his duty to perpetuate slavery. The victims of imperialism, in a world where national egotism and greed are rampant, must resort to coercive action if they are to secure freedom and justice.

Zhuangzi photo

“To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven.”

Zhuangzi (-369–-286 BC) classic Chinese philosopher

Book XXIII, ¶ 7,as rendered in the epigraph to Ch. 3 of The Lathe of Heaven (1971) by Ursula K. Le Guin, based upon the 1891 translation by James Legge, Le Guin was subsequently informed that this was a very poor translation, as there were no lathes in China in the time of Zhuangzi. The full passage as translated by Legge reads:
He whose mind is thus grandly fixed emits a Heavenly light. In him who emits this heavenly light men see the (True) man. When a man has cultivated himself (up to this point), thenceforth he remains constant in himself. When he is thus constant in himself, (what is merely) the human element will leave him, but Heaven will help him. Those whom their human element has left we call the people of Heaven. Those whom Heaven helps we call the Sons of Heaven. Those who would by learning attain to this seek for what they cannot learn. Those who would by effort attain to this, attempt what effort can never effect. Those who aim by reasoning to reach it reason where reasoning has no place. To know to stop where they cannot arrive by means of knowledge is the highest attainment. Those who cannot do this will be destroyed on the lathe of Heaven.

Aristotle photo

“Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach.”

Aristotle (-384–-321 BC) Classical Greek philosopher, student of Plato and founder of Western philosophy

This and many similar quotes with the same general meaning are misattributed to Aristotle as a result of Twitter attribution decay. The original source of the quote remains anonymous. The oldest reference resides in the works of George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman (1903): "Maxims for Revolutionists", where he claims that “He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.”. However, the related quote, "Those who can, do. Those who understand, teach" likely originates from Lee Shulman in his explanation of Aristotlean views on professional mastery: Source: Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4 - 14. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1175860
Misattributed
Variant: Those who can, do, those who cannot, teach.

Sten Nadolny photo

“There are two varieties of men. Some understand 'some women', the others are those who simply 'understand women.”

Sten Nadolny (1942) German novelist

Es gibt zwei Sorten von Männern. Die einen verstehen 'etwas von Frauen', die anderen sind solche, die einfach 'Frauen verstehen'.
Netzkarte (1981)

Oscar Wilde photo

“I am one of those who are made for exceptions, not for laws.”

Source: De Profundis

Charles Bukowski photo

“Those who preach god, need god
Those who preach peace do not have peace
Those who preach love do not have love”

Charles Bukowski (1920–1994) American writer

Source: The Roominghouse Madrigals: Early Selected Poems, 1946-1966

Related topics