Quotes About Ethics

It is true that large numbers of Americans continue to hold transcendental ethics and approach these issues very differently (there is an absolute right to life). Nevertheless, in public policy debates and in popular culture, the Judeo-Christian approach to ethical issues seems anachronistic and is not taken seriously. Once ethics become immanent and provisional, rather than transcendent and absolute, it will be more difficult to object to fascist policies.

The tendency to support enhanced executive power when one's friends hold the executive branch—a syndrome aptly dubbed ''Situational Constitutionalism''— is a recurring theme of this book.

We can outsource the work but not the responsibility.

You know, I think Jesus was famous and also in a lot of trouble because he always chose people over sort of established procedures.

t is important to the typical 'Star Trek' fan that there is a tomorrow. They pretty much share the 'Star Trek' philosophies about life: the fact that it is wrong to interfere in the evolvement of other peoples, that to be different is not necessarily to be wrong or ugly. Gene Roddenberry

The maintenance of high standards of behavior in nonviolent action is necessary at all stages of the conflict.

That's the other thing I want to talk to you about," Johnson said. "As you've been talking, we've been scanning your brain. See that cerebral scanner on the ceiling—you know, the big light beam shining down on your head?

You seem to think that the only genuine existence evil can have is conscious existence - that no one is evil unless he admits it to himself. I disagree.

Our humanity is trapped by moral adolescents. We have too many men of science, too few men of God. The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom and power without conscience.

We have grasped the mystery of the atom and we have rejected the Sermon on the Mount. The world has achieved brilliance without conscience, our world is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.

Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner.

Maybe someone who went round skinning and killing people (order as yet unspecified) was not concerned with making the universe a better place. Just a thought. Zero.

Irene had no objection to stealing a good strategy, any more than to stealing a good book.

How far could a person change and still remain human?

When a man assumes leadership, he forfeits the right to mercy.

While reaching up for manhood they tumble over a moral and ethical precipice and many can never scale their way back up.

She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mousKaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.

Looke who that is moost vertuous alway,Pryvee and apert, and most entendeth ayTo do the gentil dedes that he kan;Taak hym for the grettest gentil man.

For he was Epicurus owene sone.

Reule wel thyself, that other folk canst rede.And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede.

Fy on possessiounBut if a man be vertuous withal.

In a civilized society, all crimes are likely to be sins, but most sins are not and ought not to be treated as crimes. Man's ultimate responsibility is to God alone.

In the last analysis we must be judged by what we do and not by what we believe. We are as we behave — with a very small margin of credit for our unmanifested vision of how we might behave if we could take the trouble.

No cheap tricks.