Quotes About Ethics

Slade had to kill several men—some say three, others say four, and others six—but the world was the richer for their loss.

There are not enough morally brave men in stock. We are out of moral-courage material; we are in a condition of profound poverty.

There is a Moral sense, and there is an Immoral Sense. History shows us that the Moral Sense enables us to perceive morality and how to avoid it, and that the Immoral Sense enables us to perceive immorality and how to enjoy it.

If man had created man, he would be ashamed of his performance.

We all live in the protection of certain cowardices which we call our principles.

My complaint simply concerns the decay of the _art_ of lying. No high-minded man, no man of right feeling, can contemplate the lumbering and slovenly lying of the present day without grieving to see a noble art so prostituted.

I said it was a brutal thing. No, it was a human thing. You should not insult the brutes by such a misuse of that word; they have not deserved it.

To be good is noble. To tell other people how to be good is even nobler and much less trouble

It had as many immoralities as the machine of today has virtues. After a year or two I found that it was degrading my character, so I thought I would give it to Howells.

An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere. - A Tramp Abroad

I am not the editor of a newspaper and shall always try to do right and be good so that God will not make me one.

Well, then, says I, what's the use you learning to do right when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same? I was stuck. I couldn't answer that. So I reckoned I wouldn't bother no more about it, but after this always do whichever come handiest at the time.

Everybody granted that if Tom were white and free it would be unquestionably right to punish him--it would be no loss to anybody; but to shut up a valuable slave for life--that was quite another matter. As soon as the Governor understood the case, he pardoned Tom at once, and the creditors sold him down the river.

The Mormon Bible is rather stupid and tiresome to read, but there is nothing vicious in its teachings. Its code of morals is unobjectionable- -it is smouched [Milton] from the New Testament and no credit given.

La crueldad es monopolio de quienes poseen el sentido moral. Cuando un bruto inflige un dolor, lo hace de un modo inocente, no comete una mala acción; para el bruto no existe el mal. Y

After much reflection—suppose it was a lie? What then? Was it such a great matter? Aren't we always acting lies? Then why not tell them?

No fact is more firmly established than that lying is a necessity of our circumstances--the deduction that it is then a Virtue goes without saying. No virtue can reach its highest usefulness without careful and diligent cultivation--therefore, it goes without saying that this one ought to be taught in the public schools--even in the newspapers. What chance has the ignorant uncultivated liar against the educated expert?

I said, I know what you'll say. You'll say stealing a n***** is dirty, low business, but what if it is? I'm low down; and I'm a-going to steal him, and I want you to keep mum and not let on. Will you? Tom's eyes lit up, and he says I'll help you steal him.

If I had the remaking of man, he wouldn't have any conscience. It is one of the most disagreeable things connected with a person; and although it certainly does a great deal of good, it cannot be said to pay, in the long run; it would be much better to have less good and more comfort.

It was a new business to me, and I asked Tom if countries always apologized when they had done wrong, and he says: "Yes; the little ones does.

You're never wrong to do the right thing.- Ben, The Intern. Mark Twain may have said it first

Well, then, says I, what's the use you learning to do right, when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?

So we poked along back home, and I warn't feeling so brash as I was before, but kind of ornery, and humble, and to blame, somehow—though I hadn't done nothing. But that's always the way; it don't make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person's conscience ain't got no sense, and just goes for him anyway .

Blue Laws of