Famous quote by Joseph Butler

"Love of our neighbour, then, has just the same respect to, is no more distant from, self-love, than hatred of our neighbour, or than love or hatred of anything else"

About this Quote

Joseph Butler, an 18th-century philosopher and theologian, explores the detailed relationship in between self-love and love for others in the provided quote. His argument rests on the principle that like for one's neighbor and self-love are fundamentally linked through the spectrum of human feelings and moral actions.

Butler suggests that love, whether directed at oneself or others, emerges from the exact same basic source of human motivation. His assertion is that love for one's neighbor is not an antithesis or a remote principle from self-love, however rather a similar expression of the exact same internal capability for affection and issue. By emphasizing that love for next-door neighbors is as intimately linked to self-love as hatred is, Butler is highlighting the neutral ground where these feelings discover their origins and the distress or harmony they manifest in human relationships.

Through this perspective, Butler advances a moral viewpoint that demands the interconnectedness of individual wellness and communal well-being. Love for one's next-door neighbor should not be perceived simply as selflessness that opposes self-interest. Rather, such love really mirrors the health of one's internal personalities, showcasing how a well-oriented self-love can naturally extend into care for others. Similarly, when one harbors hatred, it often shows internal discord that can manifest both inwardly and outwardly, impacting self-view and interactions with others.

Butler's insights challenge the dichotomy frequently placed between self-interest and selfless behavior, showing that properly ordered self-love always involves issue for others. In doing so, he motivates a deeper understanding of ethical actions as emanations from the merged human capability for love, consequently suggesting that authentic take care of oneself and others are not mutually special however are important parts of ethical stability and social harmony. Through this, Butler basically calls for reflective self-awareness in cultivating emotions and actions that line up harmoniously with both personal and communal well-being.

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About the Author

England Flag This quote is written / told by Joseph Butler between May 18, 1692 and June 16, 1752. He/she was a famous Clergyman from England. The author also have 30 other quotes.
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