Quotes About Ethics

The great presidents never forget the principle of the republic and seek to preserve and enhance them – in the long run– without undermining the needs of the moment. Bad presidents simply do what is expedient, heedless of principles. But the worst presidents are those who adhere to the principles regardless of what the fortunes of the moment demand.

The kind of president we need has little to do with ideology and more to do with a willingness to wield power to moral ends.

Morality starts as a simple concept and becomes complicated.

Horthy was no more of an anti-Semite than good manners required, and this was not something he may have wanted himself, but his duty was to preserve an independent Hungary, and if putting Jews into labor battalions was what was needed, he was going to do what was needed. For

There is a quote attributed to Honoré de Balzac: behind every great fortune there is a great crime.

I have never solicited nor received money from Iraq for our campaign against war and sanctions. I have never seen a barrel of oil, never owned one, never bought one, never sold one.

if you don't punish lying in your political leaders, then why should they stop lying?

Being an innkeeper meant walking a fine line between courtesy and tyranny.

For example, if a starving man pulls a gun on you and you get the upper hand, you will likely let him go because you will feel sorry for him. That's the kind of person you are." "And what kind of person are you?" His face was hard. "The kind who shoots first.

Society frowned on killing your best friend. In this case, it would just have to make an exception.

Nonhumanity is a dangerous label. If someone is nonhuman, they have no rights, Andrea. No protection.

If it feels wrong, it probably is.

Barbarism usually produces swift death. Cruelty is the mark of a civilized human.

He didn't do it because his religion told him to murder people. He didn't do it because he couldn't control himself. He did it out of pure selfish greed, and he didn't feel the least bit upset by it. I'd rather take on a demonic horde any day. The

How do you explain humanity to someone who has no frame of reference? "It has to do with good and evil. You have to decide for yourself what they are. For me, evil is striving to an end without regard for the means.

If I compromise on this, soon I'll compromise on other things and then I won't be me anymore.

If we agree to your proposal, you'll expect us to abide by your contract, which may require us to compromise our ethics.

We had accepted this job pro bono, because snatching a service animal from a child in a wheelchair was a heinous act and someone had to make it right.

The concepts of right or wrong are always consequential. It can't be situational or it's not right or wrong.

We're a family business. All we have is our name and our reputation. We follow only three rules. First, once bought, we stay loyal to the client. Second, we try not to do anything illegal. And third, at the end of the day we have to be able to look our reflection in the eye.

I'm saying that it's illegal, dangerous, and possibly unethical, but we should definitely do it.

Better to do a small wrong to prevent a big one.

Because killing random people just because they did something you don't like makes you the bad guy.

He shook his head. "Better to do a small wrong to prevent a big one." "How do you decide what is a 'small' wrong? Let's say, you buy the safety of many with the life of a child. That child means everything to her parents. You devastated them. There is no greater wrong you can