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Morality Quotes

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Morality Quotes

“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?”

Humans Different Self Character Law Political Sides Religious Principles Four Self Love Morality Philosophical Regard Sake Gods Will God Love Welfare Different Sides

Author:Georg C. Lichtenberg

“Looking to future generations, there is no cause to fear that the social instincts will grow weaker... the social instincts, - the prime principle of man's moral constitution - with the aid of active intellectual powers and the effects of habit, naturally lead to the golden rule, "As ye would that men should do to you; do ye to them likewise"; and this lies at the foundation of morality.”

“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.”

Source: Jimmy Carter

“Knowing there is a world that will outlive you, there are people whose well-being depends on how you live your life, affects the way you live your life, whether or not you directly experience those effects. You want to be the kind of person who has the larger view, who takes other people's interests into account, who's dedicated to the principles that you can justify, like justice, knowledge, truth, beauty and morality.”

People World Way Want Wells Kind Persons Interest Justice Views Principles Knowing Atheism Effects Depends Morality Truth Is Accounts Atheist Well Being Justify Dedicated Live Your Life

Author:Steven Pinker

“Politics without principles, Education without character, Science without humanity, and Commerce without morality are not only useless, but also positively dangerous.”

Inspirational Character Motivational Humanity Principles Dangerous Morality Healthy Suicide Well Being Useless Commerce Positively Suicidal Thoughts

Author:Sathya Sai Baba

“Reverence for Life affords me my fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, assisting, and enhancing life and that to destroy, harm, or to hinder life is evil. Affirmation of the world - that is affirmation of the will to live, which appears in phenomenal forms all around me - is only possible for me in that I give myself out for other life.”

“Principles do not mainly influence even the principled; we talk on principle, but we act on interest.”

Interest Principles Influence Morality Ethics Principled

Book:The Works of Walter Savage Landor

Source: The Works of Walter Savage Landor

“There are two principles of established acceptance in morals; first, that self-interest is the mainspring of all of our actions, and secondly, that utility is the test of their value.”

Firsts Two Self Action Values Interest Moral Principles Acceptance Morality Ethics Tests Our Actions Utility Self Interest

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“It is almost impossible systematically to constitute a natural moral law. Nature has no principles. She furnishes us with no reason to believe that human life is to be respected. Nature, in her indifference, makes no distinction between good and evil.”

Source: The Revolt of the Angels: Works by France

“I don't like principles. I prefer prejudices.”

Principles Morality Ethics Prejudice

Book:Two Society Comedies

Source: Two Society Comedies

“The cause of all human evils is the not being able to apply general principles to special cases.”

Humans Able Evil Causes Principles Cases Special Morality Ethics

Book:The Works of Epictetus: Consisting of His Discourses, in Four Books, the Enchiridion, and Fragments

Source: The Works of Epictetus: Consisting of His Discourses, in Four Books, the Enchiridion, and Fragments

“The opinions of men are not the object of civil government, nor under its jurisdiction; that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency is a dangerous falacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty...”

“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 station. When a citizen gives his vote to a man of immorality , he abuses his civic responsibilty. He sacrifices not only his own interest but that of his neighbor, and he betrays the interest of his country.”

Men Giving Important Country Political Interest Religious Views Principles Sacrifice Subjects Citizens Morality Vote Abuse Neighbor Stations Betray Civics Qualifications Immorality Defective

Author:Noah Webster

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim tribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness - these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. . . . reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.”

“. . . Virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone that renders us invincible. These are the tactics we should study. If we lose these, we are conquered, fallen indeed . . . so long as our manners and principles remain sound, there is no danger.”

Ifs Should Long Sound Loses Liberty Principles Virtue Study Danger Morality My Friends Manners Fallen Tactics Invincible Armor Morality And Religion

Author:Patrick Henry

“To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father's has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association-the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.”

Source: The Life and Writings of ...

“Could many of our ills today have resulted from our failure to train a strong citizenry from the only source we have - the boys and girls of each community? Have they grown up to believe in politics without principle, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without effort, wealth without work, business without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice?”

Source: An enemy hath done this

“Man can learn self-discipline without becoming ascetic; he can be wise without waiting to be old; he can be influential without waiting for status. Man can sharpen his ability to distinguish between matters of principle and matters of preference, but only if we have a wise interplay between time and truth, between minutes and morality.”

Ifs Men Self Matter Time Waiting Ability Principles Learning Wise Minutes Becoming Discipline Morality Truth Is Self Discipline Preference Influential Being Wise

Author:Neal A. Maxwell

“The National Government will regard it as its first and foremost duty to revive in the nation the spirit of unity and cooperation. It will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life.”

“Whatever the reason, for most of the present century, the literature and publicity of the old established [animal welfare] groups made a significant contribution to the prevailing attitude that dogs and cats and wild animals need protection, but other animals do not. Thus people came to think of "animal welfare" as something for kindly ladies who are dotty about cats, and not as a cause founded on basic principles of justice and morality.”

“The spread of democracy is a wonderful thing-it is a necessary foundation for peace-and it can happen. But it cannot be advanced by force, and still less by the creation of a new empire, an idea that is as unworkable as it morally mistaken. Empire, the embodiment of force, violates equity on a global scale. No lover of freedom can give it support. It is especially contrary to the founding principles of the United States.”

“The founders of this nation understood that private morality is the fount from whence sound public policy springs. Replying to Washington's first inaugural address, the Senate stated: "We feel, sir, the force and acknowledge the justness of the observation that the foundation of our national policy should be lain in private morality. If individuals be not influenced by moral principles it is in vain to look for public virtue."”

“[T]he Christian religion, in its purity, is the basis, or rather the source of all genuine freedom in government. . . . and I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of that religion have not a controlling influence.”

Government Christian Form Principles Society Influence Source Morality Republican Bases Genuine Purity Founding Fathers Christian Founding Fathers Religion

Author:Noah Webster

“Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind.”

Believe Doe Real Religion I Believe Moral Principles Mankind Morality Mischief Founding Fathers Christian Founding Fathers Religion Morality And Religion

Author:Benjamin Rush

“If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted . . . . If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.”

Source: Instructive and Entertaining Lessons for Youth: With Rules for Reading with Propriety, Illustrated by Examples: Designed for Use in Schools and Families

“The foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens, and command the respect of the world.”

World Government Religion Winning Principles Policy Citizens Morality Pure Foundation Affection Command Attributes Free Government Inaugural

Book:The speeches, addresses and messages, of the several presidents of the United States, at the openings of Congress and at their respective inaugurations: Also, the Declaration of independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's farewell address to his fellow-citizens

Source: The speeches, addresses and messages, of the several presidents of the United States, at the openings of Congress and at their respective inaugurations: Also, the Declaration of independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's farewell address to his fellow-citizens

“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...”

“The Nuremberg Trial of the German war criminals was tacitly based on the recognition of the principle: criminal actions cannot be excused if committed on government orders; conscience supersedes the authority of the law of the state.”

Ifs War States Government Action Law Order Principles Morality Authority Conscience Human Rights Committed Criminals Trials Recognition Nuremberg Nuremberg Trials

Book:The Ultimate Quotable Einstein

Source: The Ultimate Quotable Einstein

“The obligation of human beings to support and obey human governments, while they legislate upon the principles of the moral law, is an unalterable as the moral law itself.”

Humans Government Law Human Beings Moral Principles Support Morality Obligation Moral Law

Book:Skeletons of a Course of Theological Lectures

Source: Skeletons of a Course of Theological Lectures

“All religions have honored the beggar. For he proves that in a matter at the same time as prosaic and holy, banal and regenerative as the giving of alms, intellect and morality, consistency and principles are miserably inadequate.”

Giving Matter Time Principles Morality Holy Prove Intellect Consistency Honored Beggar Inadequate Alms

Author:Walter Benjamin

“Morality, taken as apart from religion, is but another name for decency in sin. It is just that negative species of virtue which consists in not doing what is scandalously depraved and wicked. But there is no heart of holy principle in it, any more than there is in the grosser sin.”

Heart Names Sin Principles Virtue Taken Morality Holy Negative Species Wicked Decency Depraved

Author:Horace Bushnell

“When we come to the moral principles on which the government is to be administered, we come to what is proper for all conditions of society. Liberty, truth, probity, honor, are declared to be the four cardinal principles of society. I believe that morality, compassion, generosity, are innate elements of the human constitution; that there exists a right independent of force.”

Source: The Essential Jefferson

“The principle itself of dogmatic religion, dogmatic morality, dogmatic philosophy, is what requires to be rooted out; not any particular manifestation of that principle. The very corner-stone of an education intended to form great minds, must be the recognition of the principle, that the object is to call forth the greatest possible quantity of intellectual power, and to inspire the intensest love of truth.”

Mind Philosophy Form Principles Objects Inspire Particular Morality Intellectual Stones Corners Recognition Manifestation Quantity Rooted Dogmatic Great Minds

Book:Dissertations and Discussions

Source: Dissertations and Discussions

“Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can exist apart from religious principle.”

“As Our Predecessors have many times repeated, let no man think that he may for any reason whatsoever join the Masonic sect, if he values his Catholic name and his eternal salvation as he ought to value them. Let no one be deceived by a pretense of honesty. It may seem to some that Freemasons demand nothing that is openly contrary to religion and morality; but, as the whole principle and object of the sect lies in what is vicious and criminal, to join with these men or in any way to help them cannot be lawful”

Source: A Light in the Heavens: Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII

“Our true dignity consists — in thought. Thence we must derive our elevation, not from space or duration. Let us endeavor then to think well; this is the principle of morals.”

Thinking Wells Principles Morality Dignity Endeavor

Author:Blaise Pascal

“Winston Churchill was a man of blood and a politico without principle, whose apotheosis serves to corrupt every standard of honesty and morality in politics and history.”

Men Principles Blood Honesty Morality Standards Apotheosis

Author:Ralph Raico

“Christianity is the only system of faith which combines religious beliefs with corresponding principles of morality. It builds ethics on religion.”

Belief Religious Christianity Principles Morality Ethics Religious Belief Corresponding

Author:Austin Phelps

“Money motivates neither the best people, nor the best in people. It can move the body and influence the mind, but it cannot touch the heart or move the spirit; that is reserved for belief, principle, and morality.”

People Mind Heart Body Moving Spirit Belief Principles Influence Morality Reserved

Author:Dee Hock

“Beyond fashion and its demands, there are higher and more pressing laws, principles superior to fashion, and unchangeable, which under no circumstances can be sacrificed to the whim of pleasure or fancy, and before which must bow the fleeting omnipotence of fashion. These principles have been proclaimed by God, by the Church, by the Saints, by reason, by Christian morality.”

“These principles have been proclaimed by God, by the Church, by the Saints, by Christian reason and morals.”

Has Beens Reason Christian Church Principles Morality Saint Modesty Christian Morality

Author:Pope Pius XII