Best morality & principles Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“Unbounded morality ultimately becomes counterproductive even in terms of the same moral principles being sought. The law of diminishing returns applies to morality.”

Law Term Moral Principles Return Morality Moral Principles Counterproductive Diminishing Returns

Book:Knowledge And Decisions

Source: Knowledge And Decisions

“The true patriot scrutinizes the actions of his own government with unceasing vigilance. And when his government violates the morality and rightness associated with principles of individual freedom and private property, he immediately rises in opposition to his government.”

Government Action Individual Principles Morality Property Opposition Nationalism Patriot Private Property Vigilance Individual Freedom Scrutinize

Book:The tyranny of gun control

Source: The tyranny of gun control

“It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness. But if we had no divine instruction on the subject, our own interest would demand of us a strict observance of the principle of these injunctions. . . .”

“When we assume God to be a guiding principle well, sure enough, a god is usually characteristic of a certain system of thought or morality. For instance, take the Christian God, the summum bonum: God is love, love being the highest moral principle; and God is spirit, the spirit being the supreme idea of meaning. All our Christian moral concepts derive from such assumptions, and the supreme essence of all of them is what we call God.”

“An evolutionary morality argues that The North was right in pursuing that war because a nation is a higher form of evolution than a human body and the principle of human equality is an even higher form than a nation”

Humans War Body Form Nations Principles Evolution Higher Morality Arguing Human Body Human Equality

Book:LILA An Inquriry into Morals

Source: LILA An Inquriry into Morals

“This is the very heart of true morality--not to struggle, not to fight with any weapons, for one's self alone--but to struggle and to fight for the common interest, to wield the power of brain and good right arm if need be for one's family, for the ordered community of life, for the state, for moral principles, humanity, and the common good.”

Ifs Needs Heart Self States Humanity Fighting Interest Community Common Brain Moral Principles Struggle Arms Morality Weapons Common Good Moral Principles Common Interests

Author:Joseph Alexander Leighton

“Darwinism undermined traditional morality and the value of human life. Then, evolutionary progress became the new moral imperative. This aided the advance of eugenics, which was overtly founded on Darwinian principles. Some eugenicists began advocating euthanasia and infanticide for the disabled. On a parallel track, some prominent Darwinists argued that human racial competition and war is part of the Darwinian struggle for existence. Hitler imbibed these social Darwinist ideas, blended in virulent anti-Semitism, and--there you have it: Holocaust”

“To discover the true principles of morality, men have no need of theology, of revelation, or of gods. They need but common sense. They have only to look within themselves, to reflect upon their own nature, to consult their obvious interests, to consider the object of society and of each of the members who compose it, and they will easily understand that virtue is an advantage, and that vice is an injury to beings of the species.”

Men Needs Looks Interest Common Principles Virtue Atheism Objects Morality Members Advantage Species Vices Obvious Theology Common Sense Revelations Injury

Author:Jean Meslier

“All systems of morality are fine. The gospel alone has exhibited a complete assemblage of the principles of morality, divested of all absurdity. It is not composed, like your creed, of a few common-place sentences put into bad verse. Do you wish to see that which is really sublime? Repeat the Lord's Prayer.”

Wish Prayer Lord Principles Like You Fine Morality Bible Sentences Repeats Creeds Verses Absurdity Sublime Commonplace Assemblage

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“If you do not assume the law of non-contradiction, you have nothing to argue about. If you do not assume the principles of sound reason, you have nothing to argue with. If you do not assume libertarian free will, you have no one to argue against. If you do not assume morality to be an objective commodity, you have no reason to argue in the first place.”

Ifs Firsts Reason Law Sound Principles Morality Assuming Libertarian Arguing Objectives Contradiction No Reason Free Will Commodity

Author:William J. Murray

“The distinction between right and wrong ("la distinction du bien et du mal", Fr.), is nothing else than their unyielding (or implacable) opposition; thus the moral consciousness is an innate and intimate revelation of the absolute, which goes beyond (or goes pass, or exceed) every empirical data (or given information). It is only on these principles that we will be able to establish ("pourront être édifiées", Fr.) the real basis of morality.”

Real Able Given Consciousness Moral Principles Information Morality Bases Absolutes Data Intimate Revelations Distinction Opposition Innate Exceed Unyielding

Author:African Spir

“All those who write either explicitly or by insinuation against the dignity, freedom, and immortality of the human soul, may so far forth be justly said to unhinge the principles of morality, and destroy the means of making men reasonably virtuous.”

Men Writing Humans May Mean Said Soul Principles Morality Dignity Immortality Virtuous Human Soul

Book:The applied philosophical works

Source: The applied philosophical works

“It is evident from their writings that the Founding Fathers would never have tolerated the separation that we have embraced today. They knew that religious principles provided morality and self-control - the lifeblood for the survival of any self-governing community.”

Writing Self Today Christian Father Community Religious Principles Morality Survival Separation Self Control Evident Founding Governing

Author:David Barton

“There can be no truly moral choice unless that choice is made in freedom; similarly, there can be no really firmly grounded and consistent defense of freedom unless that defense is rooted in moral principle. In concentrating on the ends of choice, the conservative, by neglecting the conditions of choice, loses that very morality of conduct with which he is so concerned. And the libertarian, by concentrating only on the means, or conditions, of choice and ignoring the ends, throws away an essential moral defense of his own position.”

“Separate religion from morality, and you have the true energy for evil within man, the terrible, cruel, devastating, and inhuman principle which naturally lies in his spirit. Here the division of the indivisible punishes itself most awfully.”

Men Spirit Lying Religion Evil Energy Principles Terrible Morality Division Inhuman Indivisible Evil Within

Author:Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel

“Tracing the progress of mankind in the ascending path of civilization, and moral and intellectual culture, our fathers found that the divine ordinance of government, in every stage of the ascent, was adjustable on principles of common reason to the actual condition of a people, and always had for its objects, in the benevolent councils of the divine wisdom, the happiness, the expansion, the security, the elevation of society, and the redemption of man. They sought in vain for any title of authority of man over man, except of superior capacity and higher morality.”

“It is difficult for me to regard anyone who obeys no moral principle in his conduct to be a religious man.”

Men Difficult Religious Moral Principles Morality Regard Moral Principles

Book:Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi

Source: Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi

“Their usual mistaken premise is that they affirm some consensus among people, at least among tame peoples, concerning certain moral principles, and then conclude that these principles must be unconditionally binding also for you and me-or conversely, they see that among different peoples moral valuations are necessarily different and infer from this that no morality is binding-both of which are equally childish.”

People Different Certain Moral Principles Morality Usual Mistaken Consensus Different Peoples Premises Binding Moral Principles Valuation Moral Absolutism

Book:Nietzsche: The Gay Science: With a Prelude in German Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs

Source: Nietzsche: The Gay Science: With a Prelude in German Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs

“The truth which has made us free will in the end make us glad also. Every outcry against the oppression of some people by other people, or against what is morally hideous is the affirmation of the principle that a human being as such is not to be violated. A human being is not to be handled as a tool but is to be respected and revered.”

People Humans Made Ends Human Beings Principles Morality Respect Tools Tolerance Glad Oppression Free Will Affirmation Respecting Others Hideous

Author:Felix Adler

“[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

“In vain are Schools, Academies, and Universities instituted, if loose Principles and licentious habits are impressed upon Children in their earliest years . . . . The Vices and Examples of the Parents cannot be concealed from the Children. How is it possible that Children can have any just Sense of the sacred Obligations of Morality or Religion if, from their earliest Infancy, they learn their Mothers live in habitual Infidelity to their fathers, and their fathers in as constant Infidelity to their Mothers.”

Source: The Portable John Adams

“The form of government which you admire, when its principles are pure is admirable indeed. It is productive of every Thing which is great and excellent among men. But its principles are as easily destroyed as human nature is corrupted. Such a government is only to be supported by pure religion or Austere morals.”

Men Humans Government Form Religion Moral Principles Human Nature Morality Pure Admire Destroyed Excellent Productive Admirable Forms Of Government

Book:Warren-Adams Letters: Being Chiefly a Correspondence Among John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Warren ... 1743-1814

Source: Warren-Adams Letters: Being Chiefly a Correspondence Among John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Warren ... 1743-1814

“The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation: The doctrine of a supreme, intelligent sovereign of the universe, I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.”

Men Believe Done Universe I Believe Nations Principles Morality Civilization Essentials Intelligent Jew Supreme Doctrine Sovereign Hebrew

Book:The John Adams papers

Source: The John Adams papers

“Lastly, our ancestors established their system of government on morality and religious sentiment. Moral habits, they believed, cannot safely be trusted on any other foundation than religious principle, nor any government be secure which is not supported by moral habits.... Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens.”

Source: The Great Orations and Senatorial Speech of Daniel Webster

“Why may not the Bible and especially the New Testament be read and taught as a divine revelation in school? Where else can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?”

May School Principles Taught Divine Morality Revelations Testament New Testament Divine Revelation

Author:Gene Fowler

“The Bill of Rights should contain the general principles of natural and civil liberty. It should be to a community what the eternal laws and obligations of morality are to the conscience. It should be unalterable by any human power.”

Should Humans Law Community Natural Liberty Principles Rights Morality Eternal Conscience Bills Obligation Civil Liberties Bill Of Rights Human Power

Author:Thomas Paine

“Segregation or separation is thus a basic principle of Biblical Law with respect to religion and morality. Every attempt to destroy this principle is an effort to reduce society to its lowest common denominator.”

Law Common Effort Principles Morality Separation Biblical Lowest Segregation Common Denominator Basic Principles Lowest Common Denominator

Author:R.J. Rushdoony

“Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in the Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the opposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

“Establish that a Government may decline a provision for its debts, though able to make it, and you overthrow all public morality, you unhinge all the principles that must preserve the limits of free constitutions.”

May Government Able Principles Morality Limits Constitution Debt Preserves Decline Provision

Book:Papers

Source: Papers

“The instinct of revenge is the force which constitutes the essence of what we call psychology, history, metaphysics and morality. The spirit of revenge is the genealogical element of our thought, the transcendental principle of our way of thinking.”

Thinking Way Spirit Force Principles Psychology Morality Elements Essence Instinct Revenge Metaphysics Our Thoughts Way Of Thinking Transcendental

Book:Nietzsche and Philosophy

Source: Nietzsche and Philosophy

“Parents, teach your children to express themselves. Teach them to be in touch with their emotions, to speak honestly to people, and to maintain integrity and stick by their principles in all they do. This is perhaps the highest morality you can instill.”

People Children Speak Parent Emotion Principles Teach Morality Integrity Highest Our Children Sticks Honestly Your Children Instill

Author:Jeff Bryant

“Peace is only possible if men cease to place their happiness in the possession of things "which cannot be shared," and if they raise themselves to a point where they adopt an abstract principle superior to their egotisms. In other words, it can only be obtained by a betterment of human morality.”

Ifs Men Humans Principles Morality Raises Possession Cease Superiors Abstract Egotism Betterment

Book:The Treason of the Intellectuals

Source: The Treason of the Intellectuals

“Let's say somebody were [in the White House] and they wanted to destroy this nation. I would create division among the people, encourage a culture of ridicule for basic morality and the principles that made and sustained the country, undermine the financial stability of the nation, and weaken and destroy the military. It appears coincidentally that those are the very things that are happening right now.”

People Made Country Wanted Culture House Nations White Principles Military Morality Right Now Happenings Financial Division White House Stability Ridicule Financial Stability

Author:Benjamin Carson

“Those who think religion has nothing to do with politics understand neither religion or politics... The things that will destroy us are: politics without principles, pleasures without conscience, knowledge without character, business without morality.”

Thinking Character Pleasure Principles Morality Conscience

Author:Mahatma Gandhi

“Money, not morality, is the principle commerce of civilized nations.”

Nations Church Principles Society Morality Ethics Corruption Civilized Pregnancy Commerce Civilized Nations

Author:Thomas Jefferson

“Money, not morality, constitutes the principle of commercial nations.”

Nations Principles Morality

Author:Thomas Jefferson

“Why I can't stand this phrase about I don't have any permanent enemies, any permanent friends, only permanent interests. I can't stand that. It's a matter of principles. What kind of integrity, what kind of morality do you have?”

Kind I Can Matter Interest Enemy Principles Morality Integrity Permanent Phrases

Author:Cornel West

“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.”

“In matter-ism (materialism), there can be nothing wrong with the world since there is no right way for the world to be in the first place. Everything is just matter in motion and that's that. In Mind-ism (monism) there's a different route to the same problem. There cannot be a problem of evil, even in principle, since in Mind-ism even morality is maya; illusion. In neither story, then (if we're to be consistent with their principles), can the issue of evil be raised. But in real life the problem comes up all the time. That's the difficulty.”

“Conservatism vests in and depends on the widespread, informed understanding of human nature, self-governance and the First Principle of Progress: free people interacting in free markets produce the greatest good for the greatest number always, but only, when tethered to virtue and morality.”

People Firsts Humans Self Understanding Numbers Principles Virtue Progress Human Nature Produce Depends Morality Free Market Governance Conservatism Interacting Vests

Author:Mary Matalin

“Reverence for life affords me my fundamental principle of morality.”

Principles Morality Fundamentals Motherhood Reverence Fundamental Principles Reverence For Life Will To Live

Book:Albert Schweitzer: An Anthology

Source: Albert Schweitzer: An Anthology

“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

“Seven Deadly Sins Wealth without work Pleasure without conscience Science without humanity Knowledge without character Politics without principle Commerce without morality Worship without sacrifice.”

“A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and - above all - responsible liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a hill.”

Looks Self Individual Cities Liberty Principles Destiny Mankind Discipline Morality Responsible Shining Hills Self Discipline Self Reliance Reliance Pleading Rendezvous

Author:Ronald Reagan

“Ethics, too, are nothing but reverence for life. This is what gives me the fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, promoting, and enhancing life, and that destroying, injuring, and limiting life are evil.”

Source: Civilization and ethics. 3d. ed

“Anarchism, to me, means not only the denial of authority, not only a new economy, but a revision of the principles of morality. It means the development of the individual as well as the assertion of the individual. It means self-responsibility, and not leader worship.”

Source: Exquisite Rebel: The Essays of Voltairine de Cleyre -- Anarchist, Feminist, Genius

“If there is one tendency of the day which more than any other is unhealthy and undesirable, it is the tendency to deify mere "smartness," unaccompanied by a sense of moral accountability. We shall never make our republic what it should be until as a people we thoroughly understand and put in practice the doctrine that success is abhorrent if attained by the sacrifice of the fundamental principles of morality.”

Source: The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses

“The first principle of value that we need to rediscover is this: that all reality hinges on moral foundations. In other words, that this is a moral universe, and that there are moral laws of the universe just as abiding as the physical laws.”

Needs Firsts Reality Law Values Universe Lost Inspiring Moral Principles Morality Foundation Abiding Hinges Moral Law

Author:Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The 'morality of compromise' sounds contradictory. Compromise is usually a sign of weakness, or an admission of defeat. Strong men don't compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.”

Men Should Said Strong Sound Principles Morality Weakness Defeat Compromise Contradictory Second Amendment Admission Strong Man Never Compromise

Author:Andrew Carnegie

“The Earth Charter is important as an expression of the commitment of people throughout the Earth to evoke their own deepest moral, spiritual and ethical principles in the task of ensuring a sustainable future for those who inhabit the Earth now and those who will follow us on the Earth.”

People Important God Earth Spiritual Spirituality Moral Principles Expression Morality Future Commitment Tasks Ethical Sustainability Evoke Charter Ethical Principles

Author:Maurice Strong

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