Skip to content
Shawords

Quote#Death

For when a nation becomes civilized, if it does not drop human…

Quote byJames George Frazer · 1854–1941

Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: The Golden Bough (1890), Chapter 57, Public Scapegoats.

English (original)

For when a nation becomes civilized, if it does not drop human sacrifices altogether, it at least selects as victims only such wretches as would be put to death at any rate. Thus the killing of a god may sometimes come to be confounded with the execution of a criminal.

— James George Frazer

1.8K

More from James George Frazer