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Moral Virtues Quotes

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Moral Virtues Quotes

“Our moral virtues benefit mainly other people; intellectual virtues, on the other hand, benefit primarily ourselves; therefore the former make us universally popular, the latter unpopular.”

People Hands Moral Virtue Benefits Intellectual Former Latter Moral Virtues

Book:Parerga and Paralipomena: Short Philosophical Essays

Source: Parerga and Paralipomena: Short Philosophical Essays

“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.”

“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.”

Life Nature Moral Virtue Products Habit Morality Preparation Formation Reception Moral Virtues

Book:Ethics: The Nicomachean Ethics

Source: Ethics: The Nicomachean Ethics

“Moral virtue is ... a mean between two vices, that of excess and that of defect, and ... it is no small task to hit the mean in each case, as it is not, for example, any chance comer, but only the geometer, who can find the center of a given circle.”

Mean Two Given Chance Moral Cases Virtue Example Morality Tasks Vices Circles Excess Defects Moral Virtues

Book:The Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle

Source: The Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle

“It is visible then that it was not any Heathen Religion or other Idolatrous Superstition, that first put Man upon crossing his Appetites and subduing his dearest Inclinations, but the skilful Management of wary Politicians; and the nearer we search into human Nature, the more we shall be convinced, that the Moral Virtues are the Political Offspring which Flattery begot upon Pride.”

Source: The Fable of the Bees

“Complaisance, though in itself it be scarce reckoned in the number of moral virtues, is that which gives a lustre to every talent a man can be possessed of. It was Plato's advice to an unpolished writer that he should sacrifice to the graces. In the same manner I would advise every man of learning, who would not appear in the world a mere scholar or philosopher, to make himself master of the social virtue which I have here mentioned.”

Source: The Tatler and the Guardian: Complete in One Volume, with Notes, and a General Index

“Reason is not the sole basis of moral virtue in man. His social impulses are more deeply rooted than his rational life.”

Men Reason Social Moral Virtue Bases Rational Impulse Rooted Sole Moral Virtues

Book:Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics

Source: Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics

“That education should be regulated by law and should be an affair of state is not to be denied, but what should be the character of this public education, and how young persons should be educated, are questions which remain to be considered. As things are, there is disagreement about the subjects. For mankind are by no means agreed about the things to be taught, whether we look to virtue or the best life. Neither is it clear whether education is more concerned with intellectual or with moral virtue.”

Source: Pocket Aristotle

“We assume therefore that moral virtue is the quality of acting in the best way in relation to pleasures and pains, and that vice is the opposite.”

Way Pain Pleasure Acting Quality Moral Virtue Opposites Relation Assuming Vices Best Way Pain And Pleasure Moral Virtues Nicomachean Ethics

Book:The Nicomachean ethics

Source: The Nicomachean ethics

“If then, as we say, good craftsmen look to the mean as they work, and if virtue, like nature, is more accurate and better than any form of art, it will follow that virtue has the quality of hitting the mean. I refer to moral virtue [not intellectual], for this is concerned with emotions and actions, in which one can have excess or deficiency or a due mean.”

Ifs Looks Mean Art Action Form Emotion Quality Moral Virtue Intellectual Concerned Dues Excess Accurate Hitting Deficiency Craftsman Moral Virtues If Then

Book:The Nicomachean ethics

Source: The Nicomachean ethics

“Moral virtue is a mean . . . between two vices, one of excess and the other of defect; . . . it is such a mean because it aims at hitting the middle point in feelings and in actions. This is why it is a hard task to be good, for it is hard to find the middle point in anything.”

Mean Two Hard Feelings Action Moral Virtue Middle Tasks Aim Vices Be Good Excess Hitting Defects Moral Virtues

Book:The Nicomachean ethics

Source: The Nicomachean ethics

“Prudence as well as Moral Virtue determines the complete performance of a man's proper function: Virtue ensures the rightness of the end we aim at, Prudence ensures the rightness of the means we adopt to gain that end.”

Men Wells Mean Ends Moral Virtue Gains Performances Function Aim Determine Prudence Moral Virtues

Author:Aristotle

“Rightness in our choice of an end is secured by [Moral] Virtue.”

Ends Choices Moral Virtue Our Choices Secured Moral Virtues

Author:Aristotle

“[the virtues] cannot exist without Prudence. A proof of this is that everyone, even at the present day, in defining Virtue, after saying what disposition it is [i.e. moral virtue] and specifying the things with which it is concerned, adds that it is a disposition determined by the right principle; and the right principle is the principle determined by Prudence.”

Moral Principles Virtue Concerned Add Determined Proof Disposition Prudence Defining Present Day Moral Virtues

Author:Aristotle

“[Prudence] is the virtue of that part of the intellect [the calculative] to which it belongs; and . . . our choice of actions will not be right without Prudence any more than without Moral Virtue, since, while Moral Virtue enables us to achieve the end, Prudence makes us adopt the right means to the end.”

Mean Ends Action Choices Moral Virtue Achieve Intellect Prudence Our Choices Moral Virtues

Author:Aristotle

“Justice is a moral virtue, merely because it has that tendency to the good of mankind, and indeed is nothing but an artificial invention to that purpose. The same may be said of allegiance, of the laws of nations, of modesty, and of good manners. All these are mere human contrivances for the interest of society.”

Source: A Treatise of Human Nature

“Atheism leads a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation: all of which may be guides to an outward moral virtue.”

“The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a great Measure, than they have it now. They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.”

“[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.”

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“[D]emocracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man's life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few.”

“Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation, all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion were not; but superstition dismounts all these, and erects an absolute monarchy in the minds of men.”

“Just as the commander of an army pitches his camp, studies the strength and defenses of a fortress, and then attacks it on its weakest side, in like manner, the enemy of our human nature studies from all sides our theological, cardinal, and moral virtues. Wherever he finds us weakest and most in need regarding our eternal salvation, he attacks and tries to take us by storm.”

Needs Trying Humans Sides Moral Enemy Virtue Study Human Nature Eternal Army Salvation Storm Defense Camps Commanders Theological Cardinals Fortresses Moral Virtues

Author:Ignatius of Loyola

“It is possible that the meaning of wisdom in Hebrew indicates aptitude for stratagems and the application of thought in such a way that the stratagems and ruses may be used in achieving either rational or moral virtues, or in achieving skill in a practical art, or in working evil and wickedness.”

Way May Art Used Evil Moral Virtue Achieve Skills Practicals Rational Application Wickedness Hebrew Aptitude Stratagem Moral Virtues

Book:A Maimonides Reader

Source: A Maimonides Reader

“We have a very foolish notion in Western countries that progress delivers freedom. But progress doesn't necessarily bring moral virtue.”

Country Moral Virtue Progress Western Notion Foolish Moral Virtues

Author:Richard Flanagan

“I see the liberty of the individual not only as a great moral good in itself (or, with Lord Acton, as the highest political good), but also as the necessary condition for the flowering of all the other goods that mankind cherishes: moral virtue, civilization, the arts and sciences, economic prosperity.”

Art Political Individual Liberty Moral Lord Virtue Economic Conditions Mankind Civilization Highest Prosperity Goods Cherish Art And Science Flowering Moral Virtues Economic Prosperity

Book:Salutary neglect

Source: Salutary neglect

“Our disregard of civic and moral virtue as an educational priority is having a tangible effect on the attitudes, understanding and behavior of large portions of the youth population in the United States today.”

Source: Failing Liberty 101: How We Are Leaving Young Americans Unprepared for Citizenship in a Free Society

“One of the most annoying habits of liberals is their tendency to confuse their political agenda with moral virtue.”

Political Moral Virtue Habit Tendencies Agendas Annoying Moral Virtues Political Agendas

Author:Robert Stacy McCain

“The moral virtues, without religion are but cold, lifeless, and insipid; it is only religion which opens the mind to great conceptions, fills it with the most sublime ideas, and warms the soul with more than sensual pleasures.”

Mind Ideas Soul Pleasure Moral Virtue Cold Sensual Conception Sublime Lifeless Insipid Moral Virtues Sensual Pleasure

Author:Joseph Addison

“I believe that courage is morally neutral. I can well imagine wicked people being brave and good people being timid or afraid. I don't consider it a moral virtue.”

People Believe Wells I Can I Believe Moral Virtue Imagine Brave Wicked Good People Moral Virtues

Author:Susan Sontag

“There is a moral virtue, a moral fidelity, ability and honesty, which other men, besides church members, are, by good nature and education, by good laws and good examples nourished and trained up in; so that civil places and trust and credit need not be monopolized into the hands of church members (who sometimes are not fitted for public office), while all others are deprived and despoiled of their natural and civil rights and liberties.”

“Faith is an unclassified cognitive illness disguised as a moral virtue.”

Moral Virtue Illness Cognitive Moral Virtues

Book:A Manual for Creating Atheists

Source: A Manual for Creating Atheists

“Kant's description of most ethical duties reads more like a description of moral virtues and vices. Once we see this, we see that Kantian ethics is indeed a kind of virtue ethics, and that it does not "divide the heart from the head" (to anticipate one of your later questions) but instead recognizes the deep truth that reason and emotion are not opposites.”

Heart Kind Doe Reason Emotion Moral Virtue Duty Ethics Opposites Vices Description Ethical Divides Anticipate Moral Virtues Reason And Emotion

Author:Allen W. Wood

“Some empirical feelings, such as sympathy, are indispensable parts of certain moral virtues.”

Feelings Certain Moral Virtue Indispensable Moral Virtues

Author:Allen W. Wood

“A comprehensive doctrine, either religious or secular, aspires to cover all of life. I mean, if it's a religious doctrine, it talks about our relation to God and the universe; it has an ordering of all the virtues, not only political virtues but moral virtues as well, including the virtues of private life, and the rest. Now we may feel philosophically that it doesn't really cover everything, but it aims to cover everything, and a secular doctrine does also.”

Ifs Feels Wells May Mean Doe Political Universe Religious Moral Virtue Relation Aim Including Doctrine Secular Aspire Private Life Comprehensive Moral Virtues

Author:John Rawls

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

People Made States God Government America Political Politics Religious Freedom Liberty Moral Virtue Rights Society Morality Bible Constitution Lawyer Presidential Usa Heritage Virtuous Founders Founding First Amendment Governing Church And State Inadequate Our Founding Fathers Us History Civil Society Founding Fathers Christian Us Founding Fathers American Society Founding Fathers Religion Founding Fathers Religious American Government Religion God Religious Liberty Founding Fathers Of America Founding America American Founding Fathers Founding Fathers Atheist Christian Father Christian Heritage Us Constitution American Liberty Founding Fathers Democracy Religion And Government Morality And Religion Liberty And Justice Contending Moral Virtues Revolution Founding Fathers Religion In Society Government And Society Christian Patriotic One Nation Under God American Constitution Christian Morality Justice Of God Future Of America Christianity And Government Patriotic Religious Moral Decay Christian Schools Moral Freedom Moral Society

Book:Works: with a life of the author

Source: Works: with a life of the author

“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”

“You cannot have Liberty in this world without what you call Moral Virtue, and you cannot have Moral Virtue without the slavery of that half of the human race who hate what you call Moral Virtue.”

World Humans Artist Hate Race Half Liberty Moral Virtue This World Slavery Human Race Moral Virtues

Book:Complete writings: with variant readings

Source: Complete writings: with variant readings

“Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

Source: Elements of useful knowledge: containing a historical and geographical account of the United States

“There is a yearning for people to return to elementary moral virtues, such as integrity and commitment. We distrust people who have no centering of values. We greatly respect businessmen, for example, if they display those virtues, even if we don't necessarily agree with the people.”

People Ifs Values Moral Virtue Example Return Integrity Commitment Agree Yearning Display Businessman Distrust Moral Virtues Centering

Author:Geoff Mulgan

“There can be no beauty if it is paid for by human injustice, nor truth that passes over injustice in silence, nor moral virtue that condones it.”

Ifs Humans Silence Moral Virtue Paid Injustice Moral Virtues

Book:This way for the gas, ladies and gentlemen: and other stories

Source: This way for the gas, ladies and gentlemen: and other stories

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.”

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

People Character Religion Freedom Virtue Morality Capable Republic Virtuous Freedom And Liberty Freedom Liberty American Government Founding America American Liberty Moral Virtues

Book:The Works of Benjamin Franklin: Containing Several Political and Historical Tracts Not Included in Any Former Edition, and Many Letters, Official and Private, Not Hitherto Published; with Notes and a Life of the Author

Source: The Works of Benjamin Franklin: Containing Several Political and Historical Tracts Not Included in Any Former Edition, and Many Letters, Official and Private, Not Hitherto Published; with Notes and a Life of the Author

“Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites…in proportion as they are more disposed to listen to the counsels of the wise and good, in preference to the flattery of knaves. Society cannot exist, unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere; and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.”

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”

“Let us with Caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.”

Source: Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States of America: Published in September, 1796

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people... it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

“The only foundation for . . . a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.”

Source: Essays, Literary, Moral and Philosophical ...

“The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy.”

Men May Wisdom Law Politics Liberty Wise Chains Virtuous Moral Virtues

Book:Letters of John Quincy Adams, to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings

Source: Letters of John Quincy Adams, to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings

“Without Virtue there can be no liberty”

Source: Essays, Literary, Moral and Philosophical ...