Quotes About Ethics

ATHENA: You wish to be called righteous rather than act right. [...] I say, wrong must not win by technicalities.

We spoil ourselves with scruples long as things go well.

For many among men are they who set high the show of honor, yet break justice.

There is no sickness worse for me that words that to be kind must lie.

But to speak ill of people at hand who give no cause for blame, is to assume a right far distinct from justice.

A curse burns bright on crime.

ATHENA: You wish to be called righteous rather than act right.

I say, wrong must not win by technicalities.

Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering

Vices are their own punishment

Better no rule than cruel rule.

In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.

No gratitude from the wicked.

Mucha gente hay que hace un bien sólo si de él recoge beneficio, no por amor y respeto a lo que es justo.

This fable shows that ornaments of the spirit are preferable to a beautiful body.

Oh, stop! stop! I beg of you: what is sport to you is death to us.

The Flea, terrified, whimpered in a weak little voice, "Oh, sir! pray let me go; don't kill me! I am such a little thing that I can't do you much harm." But the Man laughed and said, "I am going to kill you now, at once: whatever is bad has got to be destroyed, no matter how slight the harm it does." Do not waste your pity on a scamp.

No plea will protect the innocent from the unjust judge.

Every gesture of retribution carries in it the risk of escalation. It is not an insignificant possibility that the morally right may result in the morally wrong.

Our model of evil ... is Satan, not because he does the wrong things, but because he induces others to do the wrong things by persuading them that evil is right.

Whether moral decisions are evaluated by universal standards or by those of local traditions, moral conflicts are always contextual.

Evil cannot be punished, but it is self-destructive.

Reid interrupted. "What kind of jokes are we talking about?" We all looked at each other, not sure what to say. Reid tried again, looking at his notes. "It says here, 'Franken made jokes about the Holocaust.' What does that mean?" Diane handed our poll to Harry and pointed to the joke we had tested: "I think a bad Hanukkah gift for Anne Frank would have been a drum set."*

Once you even acknowledge that there is a line, that there are things you shouldn't be allowed to joke about, that there are words that can't be said no matter the context, you're selling out the very idea of comedy.