Quotes About Ethics

The man that dares traduce, because he can with safety to himself, is not a man.

Only the man who has enough good in him to feel the justice of the penalty can be punished; the others can only be hurt.

A man's reputation is not in his own keeping, but lies at the mercy of the profligacy of others. Calumny requires no proof.

All our liberties are due to men who, when their conscience has compelled them, have broken the laws of the land.

Two starving men cannot be twice as hungry as one; but two rascals can be ten times as vicious as one.

For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men.

When he is best, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast.

Every man has obligations which belong to his station. Duties extend beyond obligations, and direct the affections, desires, and intentions, as well as the actions.

One fact must be familiar to all those who have any experience of human nature - a sincerely religious man is often an exceedingly bad man.

The nature of man is evil; what is good in him is artificial.

Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.

The sin both of men and of angels was rendered possible by the fact that God gave us free will.

American liberty is premised on the accountability of free men and women for what they have done, not for what they may do.

The man who does ill, ill must suffer too.

Man is unique in organizing the mass murder of his own species.

Virtuous and vicious every man must be, few in the extreme, but all in the degree.

To what extent is any given man morally responsible for any given act? We do not know

There is something in the heart of man which will bend under moral suasion. There is a swift witness for truth in his bosom, which will respond to truth when it is uttered with calmness and dignity.

Any one prominent in affairs can always see when a man may steal a horse and when a man may not look over a hedge.

Even the best of men in authority are liable to be corrupted by passion. We may conclude then that the law is reason without passion, and it is therefore preferable to any individual.

There are some jobs in which it is impossible for a man to be virtuous.

No man of high and generous spirit is ever willing to indulge in flattery; the good may feel affection for others, but will not flatter them.

Indeed, we may go further and assert that anyone who does not delight in fine actions is not even a good man.

The high-minded man is fond of conferring benefits, but it shames him to receive them.