Philosophy & Thought: Ethics & Morality Quotes

"Only when the voice of duty is silent, or when it has already spoken, may we allowably think of the consequences of a particular action"

Augustus Hare, Writer

"My personal philosophy of life is one of ethics"

Alva Myrdal, Diplomat

"It's a full on job just looking for human social responsibility"

Colin Greenwood, Musician

"It is with flowers as with moral qualities; the bright are sometimes poisonous; but, I believe, never the sweet"

Augustus Hare, Writer

"It's nobler to lose honor to save the lives of men than it is to gain honor by taking them"

David Borenstein, Writer

"Hypocrisy is the essence of snobbery, but all snobbery is about the problem of belonging"

Alexander Theroux, Novelist

"Universalism as an ideal is as old as, nay, is probably much more ancient than the Christian ideal"

Arthur Keith, Scientist

"There are very few men and women in whom a Universalist feeling is altogether lacking; its prevalence suggests that it must be part of our inborn nature and have a place in Nature's scheme of evolution"

Arthur Keith, Scientist

"We are certainly influenced by role models, and if we are surrounded by images of beautiful rich people, we will start to think that to be beautiful and rich is very important - just as in the Middle Ages, people were surrounded by images of religious piety"

Alain de Botton, Writer

"To put the point sharply: If an informer in the French underground who sent a friend to the torture chambers of the Gestapo was equally a victim, then there can be no right or wrong in life that I understand"

Albert Maltz, Author

"I frankly don't care if you agree with my stand on abortion. I take that stand because no other stand is consistent with decent principles, and no other standard is consistent with the will of God"

Alan Keyes, Politician

"Anyway, I just haven't been able to find any humanity in any Republican candidate ever in my entire life"

Alan Rudolph, Director

"The goodness of a thing created is the perfection of its fitness for the use which it serves. Now that use is either particular or universal"

William Ames, Philosopher

"For this is our most perfect duty and yet least known to us by nature: Whatever we conceive or will should be joined with the good of our neighbor"

William Ames, Philosopher

"It's interesting actually, what's gone on with that footage, and also what happened with the footage from the war in Afghanistan, is that our news reporting is pretty much along the lines of pornography now"

Alex Cox, Director

"Guilt upon the conscience, like rust upon iron, both defiles and consumes it, gnawing and creeping into it, as that does which at last eats out the very heart and substance of the metal"

Bishop Robert South, Theologian

"The sciences have ever been the surest guides to virtue"

Frances Wright, Writer

"All too often arrogance accompanies strength, and we must never assume that justice is on the side of the strong. The use of power must always be accompanied by moral choice"

Theodore Bikel, Actor

"The most powerful moral influence is example"

Huston Smith, Theologian

"The modern period adds social ethics to religion's agenda, for we now realize that social structures are not like laws of nature. They are human creations, so we are responsible for them"

Huston Smith, Theologian

"So always, if we look back, concern for face-to-face morality, and its modern emphasis on justice as well, have historically evolved as religious issues"

Huston Smith, Theologian

"Some things must be good in themselves, else there could be no measure whereby to lay out good and evil"

Benjamin Whichcote, Philosopher

"Conscience without judgment is superstition"

Benjamin Whichcote, Philosopher

"Among politicians the esteem of religion is profitable; the principles of it are troublesome"

Benjamin Whichcote, Philosopher

"To rest satisfied with existing evils, as if we could do nothing, is not obedience; but neither is it obedience to imitate the actions of the apostles"

John Nelson Darby, Clergyman

"If it came to saving the life of one priest or sacrificing the life of an entire congregation, the church would save the life of the priest. Which is backwards, of course"

Rob Walton, Athlete

"Remorse is the pain of sin"

Theodore Parker, Theologian

"The custom of sinning takes away the sense of it, the course of the world takes away the shame of it"

John Owen, Theologian

"The maxim, that governments ought to train the people in the way in which they should go, sounds well. But is there any reason for believing that a government is more likely to lead the people in the right way than the people to fall into the right way of themselves?"

Thomas Babington, Poet

"I personally felt that his ad hominen attacks on British architects were not the sort of thing a Prince of Wales should be doing because, apart from anything else, they put various people out of business"

Anthony Holden, Journalist

"Among other things, they picked out a detail that Charles had been offered the Governorship of Hong Kong in its dying days by Thatcher in return for shutting up about the inner cities. He quite rightly, in my view, led the paper on this story"

Anthony Holden, Journalist

"What interests me is the collision between idealism and corruption"

Alex Gibney, Director

"I'm drawn to stories where people convince themselves they're doing the right thing even as the damage mounts"

Alex Gibney, Director

"The worst crimes are not committed by evil degenerates, but by decent and intelligent people taking 'pragmatic' decisions"

Colin Wilson, Writer

"And sometimes you have to go above the written law, I believe"

Fawn Hall, Celebrity

"It is my opinion that human history can make no sense unless evil doings are recognized for what they are, and that they are bearable only if somehow they may be redeemed"

Simon Conway Morris, Scientist

"The best religion is the most tolerant"

Delphine de Girardin, Novelist

"Use, don't abuse"

Grace Jones, Model

"Nobody has a franchise on what is good"

Ron Silver, Actor

"When I was twelve, I went hunting with my father and we shot a bird. He was laying there and something struck me. Why do we call this fun to kill this creature who was as happy as I was when I woke up this morning?"

Marv Levy, Coach

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