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Robert A. Heinlein

Robert A. Heinlein Quotes

Science writer

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Famous Robert A. Heinlein Quotes

“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct acts sooner or later to eliminate the individual and thereby fails to show up in future generations. . . . A scientifically verifiable theory of morals must be rooted in the individual's instinct to survive--and nowhere else!--and must correctly describe the hierarchy of survival, note the motivations at each level, and resolve all conflicts. We have such a theory now; we can solve any moral problem, on any level. Self-interest, love of family, duty to country, responsibility toward the human race . . . . The basis of all morality is duty, a concept with the same relation to group that self-interest has to individual.”

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Book:Starship Troopers
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“The profession of shaman has many advantages. It offers high status with a safe livelihood free of work in the dreary, sweaty sense. In most societies it offers legal privileges and immunities not granted to other men. But it is hard to see how a man who has been given a mandate from on High to spread tidings of joy to all mankind can be seriously interested in taking up a collection to pay his salary; it causes one to suspect that the shaman is on the moral level of any other con man. But it is a lovely work if you can stomach it.”

IfsMenHas BeensHardJoyReligionGivenCausesLevelsPayMoralMankindOffersSafeAdvantagePrivilegeSpreadProfessionLovelyGrantedCollectionsSuspectsStomachSalaryMandatesLivelihoodDrearyImmunityTidings
Book:Time Enough for Love
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“The ethics of sex is a thorny problem. Each of us is forced to grope for a solution he can live with - in the face of preposterous, unworkable, and evil code of so-called 'Morals.' Most of us know the code is wrong, almost everybody breaks it. But we pay Danegeld by feeling guilty and giving lip service. Willy-nilly, the code rides us, dead and stinking, an albatross around the neck.”

KnowsGivingFeelingsProblemFacesEvilSexPayMoralBreakSolutionsEthicsLipsGuiltyCodeNecksLip ServiceFeeling GuiltyAlbatross
Book:Stranger in a Strange Land
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“But does Man have any 'right' to spread through the universe? Man is what he is, a wild animal with the will to survive, and (so far) the ability, against all competition. Unless one accepts that, anything one says about morals, war, politics, you name it, is nonsense. Correct morals arise from knowing what man is, not what do-gooders and well-meaning old Aunt Nellies would like him to be. The Universe will let us know - later - whether or not Man has any "right" to expand through it.”

KnowsMenWellsDoeWarUniverseNamesAbilityAnimalAcceptingMoralKnowingFutureCompetitionSpreadAriseNonsensePredictionsAuntSpace ExplorationWild AnimalWill To Survive
Book:Starship Troopers
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