Many people convince themselves if it is economically necessary, it’s morally right. That’s not always the case.
—Unknown
No matter what theory of the origin of government you adopt, if you follow it out to its legitimate conclusions it will bring you face to face with the moral law.
—Henry van Dyke Jr. (1852–1933) American Author, Educator, Clergyman
The higher the buildings, the lower the morals.
—Noel Coward (1899–1973) English Dramatist, Actor, Composer
The greater part of humanity is too much harassed and fatigued by the struggle with want, to rally itself for a new and sterner struggle with error.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
In the ocean of baseness, the deeper we get, the easier the sinking.
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
A set of rules laid out by professionals to show the way they would like to act if it was profitable.
—Frank Lane (1896–1981) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
The moral virtues, then, are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
But the relationship of morality and power is a very subtle one. Because ultimately power without morality is no longer power.
—James Baldwin (1924–87) American Novelist, Social Critic
Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right.
—Isaac Asimov (1920–92) Russian-born American Writer, Scientist
Don’t let us make imaginary evils, when you know we have so many real ones to encounter.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
As the few adepts in such things well know, universal morality is to be found in little everyday penny-events just as much as in great ones. There is so much goodness and ingenuity in a raindrop that an apothecary wouldn’t let it go for less than half-a-crown…
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
Why, a moral truth is a hollow tooth which must be propped with gold.
—Edgar Lee Masters (1869–1950) American Poet, Novelist
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.
—H. G. Wells (1866–1946) English Novelist, Historian, Social Thinker
There are two principles of established acceptance in morals; first, that self-interest is the mainspring of all of our actions, and secondly, that utility is the test of their value.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
I am done with great things and big things, great institutions and big success, and I am for those tiny invisible molecular moral forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, yet which if you give them time, will rend the hardest monumentos of man’s pride.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
The better one is morally the less aware they are of their virtue.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
To set up as a standard of public morality a notion which can neither be defined nor conceived is to open the door to every kind of tyranny.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
Time is the great equalizer in the field of morals.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.
—Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) American Head of State
It is almost systematically to constitute a natural moral law. Nature has no principles. She furnishes us with no reason to believe that human life is to be respected. Nature, in her indifference, makes no difference between right and wrong.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
For the “superior morality,” of which we hear so much, we too would desire to be thankful: at the same time, it were but blindness to deny that this “superior morality” is properly rather an “inferior criminality,” produced not by greater love of Virtue, but by greater perfection of Police; and of that far subtler and stronger Police, called Public Opinion.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it’s set a rolling it must increase.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
There is no such thing as morality or immorality in thought. There is immoral emotion.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Morality comes with the sad wisdom of age, when the sense of curiosity has withered.
—Graham Greene (1904–1991) British Novelist, Short Story Writer, Playwright
Every man has his moral backside which he refrains from showing unless he has to and keeps covered as long as possible with the trousers of decorum.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
The great rule of moral conduct is, next to God, to respect time.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
For morality life is a war, and the service of the highest is a sort of cosmic patriotism which also calls for volunteers.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
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