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Quote by Richard Powers

Work

The Overstory

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Author

Richard Powers
Richard Powers

Richard Powers is an American contemporary novelist, born on June 18, 1957. His works are known for their profound philosophical thinking, rich imagination, and unique narrative style. more

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“It is clear that spiritual naturalism can be used to defend any ‘positive’, i.e. existing, norm. For it can always be argued that these norms would not be in force if they did not express some traits of human nature. [...] In fact, this form of naturalism is so wide and so vague that it may be used to defend anything. There is nothing that has ever occurred to man which could not be claimed to be ‘natural’; for if it were not in his nature, how could it have occurred to him? Looking back at this brief survey, we may perhaps discern two main tendencies which stand in the way of adopting a critical dualism. The first is a general tendency towards monism, that is to say, towards the reduction of norms to facts. The second lies deeper, and it possibly forms the background of the first. It is based upon our fear of admitting to ourselves that the responsibility for our ethical decisions is entirely ours and cannot be shifted to anybody else; neither to God, nor to nature, nor to society, nor to history. All these ethical theories attempt to find somebody, or perhaps some argument, to take the burden from us. But we cannot shirk this responsibility. Whatever authority we may accept, it is we who accept it. We only deceive ourselves if we do not realize this simple point.”

ResponsibilityHuman NatureEthicsPolitical PhilosophyMoral PhilosophyNature Vs NurtureMonismAvoiding ResponsibilitySpiritual NaturalismEthical Theories
Book:The Open Society and Its Enemies - Volume One: The Spell of Plato
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“In Your Trust (The Sonnet) My soldiers don't smoke and drink, Though they may try them for experience. They don't look at another sexually, Without their wholehearted consent. I made myself the human, I want to see in the world. Touch my work only after, You've renounced being self-absorbed. I didn't annihilate my entire life, So that you may turn me into another cult. Never you use me to boost your ego, Or as an excuse for intellectual outburst. Do not be Naskar, be the Naskar 2.0. I leave my homeworld in trust of yours.”

Human NatureService Of HumanitySocial WorkHealthy LifestyleSocial ReformerHuman Rights ActivistHumanitarian PoetryPoems On LifeReformistNaskareans
Book:High Voltage Habib: Gospel of Undoctrination
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“It’s a peculiar feature of human nature that we love to see those close to us, climb up the staircase of success, but, behind us. If they happen to catch up with us, needing to share the space with them, we feel choked, and were they to overtake us, we feel morose, though they might remain friendly. It is because, used as we were to condescend to descend in our affections to them, we lose countenance, not counting our jealousy, that they too might seem patronizing from their altered stations.”

Life QuotesHuman NatureSuccess QuotesJealousyCondescendingJealousy QuotesPatronizingRealities Of Life
Book:Benign Flame: Saga of Love
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