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Morality Quotes

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Morality Quotes

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”

MenPhilosophyCharacterPoliticalPoliticsMoralVirtueModernHonestyIgnorancePoliticianMoralityExerciseIntegrityClimate ChangeConservativeSelfishSuperiorsSelfishnessEngagedLiberalismJustificationConservatismMoral PhilosophySelf JustificationAnti ConservativeModern PhilosophyModern PoliticsConservative Political
Author:John Kenneth Galbraith
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“The "Lucifer Effect" describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in an evil action. It represents a transformation of human character that is significant in its consequences. Such transformations are more likely to occur in novel settings, in "total situations," where social situational forces are sufficiently powerful to overwhelm, or set aside temporally, personal attributes of morality, compassion, or sense of justice and fair play.”

FirstsHumansPersonsPlayCharacterActionEvilForceSocialJusticePowerfulCompassionSituationNovelEffectsMoralityNormalOrdinaryConsequenceFairsCrossesTransformationSignificantBoundariesSettingSettingsGood And EvilAttributesLuciferFair Play
Author:Philip Zimbardo
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“It takes courage to have a conscience when you seem to see others getting something tangible out of not bothering to struggle with the morality of a situation. It gets frustrating and demoralizing. This is precisely where character comes in. All throughout history special people have felt compelled to do what they objectively saw as right and good - even in the face of humiliation or rejection or expulsion or torture or death. That is because they believed that certain ideas were more important than individual well-being.”

PeopleWellsImportantIdeasCharacterSeemsFacesCertainIndividualFeltSituationStruggleSawsSpecialMoralityConscienceWell BeingBotherTortureRejectionHumiliationCompelledFrustratingTangibleDemoralizingExpulsionSpecial People
Author:Laura Schlessinger
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“Christian morality (so called) has all the characters of a reaction.... In its horror of sensuality, it made an idol of asceticism, which has been gradually compromised away into one of legality. It holds out the hope of heaven and the threat of hell, as the appointed and appropriate motives to a virtuous life - in this falling far below the best of the ancients, and doing what lies in it to give to human morality an essentially selfish character.... It is essentially a doctrine of passive obedience; it inculcates submission to all authorities found established.”

GivingHumansHas BeensMadeCharacterChristianLyingFallFoundHeavenHellAtheismMoralityHorrorAuthorityThreatPositive AtheismSelfishReactionsDoctrineSensualityObedienceMotiveAppropriateIdolsVirtuousPassiveSubmissionAsceticismLegalityChristian MoralityVirtuous Life
Book:Utilitarianism, liberty, and representative government
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“I prize the purity of his character as highly as I do that of hers. As a moral being, whatever it is morally wrong for her to do,it is morally wrong for him to do. The fallacious doctrine of male and female virtues has well nigh ruined all that is morally great and lovely in his character: he has been quite as deep a sufferer by it as woman, though mostly in different respects and by other processes.”

WellsHas BeensDifferentCharacterProcessMoralVirtueMoralityFemaleMalesLovelyDoctrinePurityPrizeRuinedSufferers
Author:Angelina Grimke
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“His system of morality was the most benevolent and sublime probably that has been ever taught, and consequently more perfect than those of any of the ancient philosophers... He was the most innocent, the most benevolent, the most eloquent and sublime character that ever has been exhibited to man.”

MenHas BeensCharacterChristianReligiousPerfectTaughtMoralityAncientPhilosopherInnocentSublimeEloquentBenevolent
Book:Jefferson: Political Writings
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“Anne of Austria (with great submission to a Crowned Head do I say it) was a B----. She had spirit and courage without parts, devotion without common morality, and lewdness without tenderness either to justify or to dignify it. Her two sons were no more Lewis the Thirteen's than they were mine.”

TwoCharacterSpiritCommonMinesSonMoralityDevotionJustifyTendernessSubmissionRoyaltyAdulteryThirteenAustria
Book:Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son
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“When the Congress first met, Mr. Cushing made a motion that it should be opened with prayer . . . Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said he was no bigot, and could hear a prayer from a gentleman of piety and virtue, who was at the same time a friend to his country. He . . . had heard that Mr. Duche . . . deserved that character and therefore he moved that Mr. Duche . . . might be desired to read prayers to the Congress . . . . After (he read several prayers), Mr. Duche, unexpected to everybody, struck out into an extemporary prayer, which filled the bosom of every man present.”

MenShouldFirstsMadeSaidCountryCharacterMightReligionPrayerVirtueHeardMoralityMetsMovedFilledCongressEvery ManGentlemanUnexpectedBosomsPietyBigots
Author:John Adams
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“[T]he kingdom of heaven is of the childlike, of those who are easy to please, who love and who give pleasure. Mighty men of their hands, the smiters and the builders and the judges, have lived long and done sternly and yet preserved this lovely character; and among our carpet interests and twopenny concerns, the shame were indelible if we should lose it. Gentleness and cheerfulness, these come before all morality; they are the perfect duties.”

IfsMenGivingShouldLongDoneCharacterHandsHeavenEasyInterestLosesPerfectPleasureJudgingDutyMoralityPleaseConcernShameLovelyKingdomsGentlenessCarpetCheerfulnessBuilderChildlikeKingdom Of HeavenIndelible
Author:Robert Louis Stevenson
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“The moral absolutes rest upon God's character. The moral commands He has given to men are an expression of His character. Men as created in His image are to live by choice on the basis of what God is. The standards of morality are determined by what conforms to His character, while those things which do not conform are immoral.”

MenCharacterChoicesGivenMoralExpressionMoralityStandardsBasesAbsolutesDeterminedCommandLive ByConformImmoral
Author:Francis Schaeffer
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“All women are brought up from the very earliest years in the belief that their ideal of character is the very opposite to that of men; not self-will, and government by self-control, but submission and yielding to the control of others. All the moralities tell them that it is their nature to live for others; to make complete abnegation of themselves, and to have no life but in their affections.”

MenYearsSelfCharacterGovernmentBeliefMoralityIdealsOppositesAffectionSelf ControlSubmissionSelf WillAbnegationLive For Others
Book:The Subjection of Women
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“Islam's basic principles of belief, worship, morality, and behavior are not affected by changing times. Islam does not propose a certain unchangeable form of government or attempt to shape it. Islam has never offered nor established a theocracy in its name. Instead, Islam establishes fundamental principles that orient a government's general character.”

DoeCharacterGovernmentFormCertainNamesBeliefPrinciplesMoralityShapesBehaviorWorshipFundamentalsIslamAffectedProposeForms Of GovernmentBasic PrinciplesFundamental PrinciplesUnchangeableTheocracy
Author:Fethullah Gulen
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“We used to have adults who set standards, moral standards, cultural standards, legal standards. They were better than we were. They gave us something to aspire to. They were people that we described as having dignity and character. That's all gone now, particularly the upper levels of the Democrat Party. There isn't any of that kind of decency, dignity, character, morality.”

PeopleKindCharacterUsedLevelsPartyMoralGoneMoralityStandardsAdultsDignityDemocratAspireDecency
Author:Rush Limbaugh
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“I remember somebody had said to me "What're you doing with a movie like Boiler Room? It's all men and you're a woman. You should be making romantic comedies," or something like that. Boiler Room, for me, was a morality tale. I remember this interview where they said to me "Yeah, but all the characters are men," and I was like, "But I'm a girl, I like men!" It's not like there's nothing interesting to me just because a lot of characters in that movie happen to be male. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I only wanna make Must Love Dogs over and over again.”

MenMeanCharacterRememberGirlInterestingComedyDogMoralityBoiler
Author:Suzanne Todd
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“Leadership consists not in degrees of technique but in traits of character; it requires moral rather than athletic or intellectual effort, and it imposes on both leader and follower alike the burdens of self-restraint.”

SelfCharacterLeadershipEffortLeaderMoralMoralityIntegrityDegreesIntellectualBurdenTechniqueFollowersTraitsRestraintAthleticGreat LeaderBeing A LeaderSelf RestraintFuture LeadersIntegrity And CharacterIntegrity CharacterMoral IntegrityMoral Leadership
Book:High Technology and Human Freedom
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“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.”

WorldInspirationalShouldCharacterCommonMoralCourageInspirational LifeMoralityIntegrityEthicsBraveryBraveCuriousThings To DoEthicalBe BraveHave CourageBe CourageousMoral ValuesMoral CourageMoral PrinciplesFear And CourageFear CourageMoral ObligationBravery And CourageHonesty IntegrityMoral CharacterHonesty And IntegrityIntegrity And CharacterHonest And IntegrityIntegrity CharacterInspirational CourageRare ThingsHonor And IntegrityBravery And FearMoral DutyMoral EthicsLeadership CourageLove And CourageCourage And LeadershipEthics And IntegrityMorality And EthicsEthics And MoralsPhysical CourageMoral IntegrityMorals And IntegrityMoral LeadershipMoral Behavior
Book:Autobiography of Mark Twain
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“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.”

KnowsInspirationalRealCharacterBlackBusinessAttitudeKnowingVirtueHonestyPositiveHonorMoralityIntegrityEthicsArmyProductivityRight ThingVirtuousEncouragingDoing The Right ThingTruth And HonestyHonesty IntegrityTruth HonestyHonesty And IntegrityIntegrity And CharacterHonest And IntegrityIntegrity CharacterHonor And IntegrityTrust And RespectLeadership IntegrityTrust HonestyEthics And IntegrityTrust And HonestySpiritual Integrity
Author:Oprah Winfrey
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“Christian morality (so called) has all the characters of a reaction; it is, in great part, a protest against Paganism. Its ideal is negative rather than positive; passive rather than action; innocence rather than Nobleness; Abstinence from Evil, rather than energetic Pursuit of Good: in its precepts (as has been well said) "thou shalt not" predominates unduly over "thou shalt.”

WellsHas BeensSaidCharacterActionChristianEvilMoralityNegativeIdealsPositive AtheismPursuitReactionsInnocenceProtestPassivePaganismEnergeticAbstinenceWell SaidChristian Morality
Author:John Stuart Mill
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“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

PeopleCharacterReligionFreedomVirtueMoralityCapableRepublicVirtuousFreedom And LibertyFreedom LibertyAmerican GovernmentFounding AmericaAmerican LibertyMoral 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
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“There never was a strong character that was not made strong by discipline of the will; there never was a strong people that did not rank subordination and discipline among the signal virtues. Subjection to moods is the mark of a deteriorating morality. There is no baser servitude than that of the man whose caprices are his masters, and a nation composed of such men could not long preserve its liberties.”

PeopleMenLongMadeCharacterStrongNationsLibertyVirtueHe ManMastersDisciplineMoralityMarkMoodPreservesSignalsServitudeCapriceSubjectionSubordinationStrong PeopleStrong CharacterDeteriorating
Author:Ralph Waldo Emerson
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“The most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or what we do, but what we are. And if our words and our actions come from superficial human relations techniques (the Personality Ethic) rather than from our own inner core (the Character Ethic), others will sense that duplicity. We simply won't be able to create and sustain the foundation necessary for effective interdependence.”

IfsLifeHumansImportantCharacterAbleActionChangeRelationshipPersonalityMoralityIntegrityEthicsRelationFoundationTechniqueCoreIngredientsSuperficialOur ActionsHuman RelationsHuman RelationshipsOur WordsInterdependenceDuplicity
Book:Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People: Living THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Every Day
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“We now possess four principles of morality: 1) a philosophical: do good for its own sake, out of respect for the law; 2) a religious: do good because it is God's will, out of love of God; 3) a human: do good because it will promote your happiness, out of self-love; 4) a political: do good because it will promote the welfare of the society of which you are a part, out of love of society having regard to yourself. But is this not all one single principle, only viewed from different sides?”

HumansDifferentSelfCharacterLawPoliticalSidesReligiousPrinciplesFourSelf LoveMoralityPhilosophicalRegardSakeGods WillGod LoveWelfareDifferent Sides
Author:Georg C. Lichtenberg
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“According to Gandhi, the seven sins are wealth without works, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, and politics without principle. Well, Hubert Humphrey may have sinned in the eyes of God, as we all do, but according to those definitions of Gandhi's, it was Hubert Humphrey without sin.”

WellsMayCharacterEyeScienceHumanityWealthSinPleasurePrinciplesKnowledgeSacrificeHard WorkMoralityWorshipConscienceSevenDefinitionsCommerceBiographiesWithout SacrificeSeven Sins
Book:Jimmy Carter
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“Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . If the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”

PeopleIfsDoeCharacterBodyPoliticalCultureNextForceNationsQualityIgnoranceMoralityPureDemandIntelligentResponsibleBraveCongressCorruptionAidsIgnorantEnterpriseVotingTolerateRecklessLegislatureHigh QualityGreat NationsRecklessnessAmerican VotersNot VotingCentennial
Author:James A. Garfield
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“The character of Anglo-American civilization . . . is the product . . . of two perfectly distinct elements that elsewhere have often made war with each other, but which, in America, they have succeeded in incorporating somehow into one another and combining marvelously. I mean to speak of the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom.”

MeanMadeTwoWarCharacterAmericaSpiritReligionSpeakProductsMoralityCivilizationElementsElsewhereCombiningIncorporating
Author:Alexis de Tocqueville
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“The tribute that is due to the talents, the rectitude, and the patriotism which adorn the characters selected to devise and adopt them. In these honorable qualifications, I behold the surest pledges, that as on one side, no local prejudices, or attachments; no seperate views, nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great assemblage of communities and interests: so, on another, that the foundations of our National policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality...”

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Author:George Washington
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“Unless the will is free, man has no freedom; and if he has no freedom he is not a moral agent, that is, he is incapable of moral action and also of moral character.”

IfsMenCharacterActionMoralMoralityAgentsIncapableFree ManMoral CharacterMoral Action
Book:Lectures on systematic theology, embracing moral government, the atonement, etc. Revised, enlarged, and partly re-written by the Author ... Edited ... by G. Redford
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