Quotes About Ethics

Yes, but not in chairs that don't belong to us," countered Mma Makutsi. "That's the trouble with this country, Mma—there are too many people sitting down in other people's chairs.

Moral codes were not designed to be selective, nor indeed were they designed to be questioned. You could not say that you would observe this prohibition but not that. I shall not commit theft -- certainly not -- but adultery is another matter: wrong for other people, but not for me.

The juvenile adage Never kiss and tell had a sound moral instinct behind it.

unconscionable–eating the food in a supermarket was simply theft, and could be distinguished from shoplifting only by virtue of the nature of the container used to remove the property.

One of the drawbacks to being a philosopher was that you became aware of what you should not do, and

It is undoubtedly the case that the practice of the virtues makes one happier. We've somewhat lost sight of that essential truth, now that we, as a society, admire selfishness and vanity so much.

But just because somebody has lots of sweets does not mean that he has stolen them. One thing, you see, does not always lead to another.

It was all very well occupying the moral high ground on electoral reform, but what really mattered, she thought, was how you treated your mother.

Everybody wanted to look after the world, but nobody wanted to give up anything they already had.

they are dazzled by all the money that they are being offered. That is what money does, Mma Ramotswe—you must have seen that. Sometime we need to look the other way when people put money in front of our noses. We have to look at the other things we can see so the money doesn't hide them.

It was curious how some people had a highly developed sense of guilt, she thought, while others had none.

It had made her think of the moral flavour of music. Could music really have a moral quality in itself, or was it given this by the circumstances in which it was played - and by the reasons behind its performance. Music could be pressed into military service: a triumphal march would be good if played by the right side, and wrong if played by those in the wrong.

Sometimes wickedness prevails.

Morality is for everyone and that is what

There's no excuse," said Isabel firmly. "Biscuits are trivial, but lies are not.

At the end of the story, Dr Moffat shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid that the only conclusion we can reach is that this Dr Lubega is substituting a cheap generic for a costly drug but charging his patients the full cost." "And that would harm them?" she asked. "It could," said Dr Moffat. "Some of the generics are all right, but others do not necessarily do what they're meant to.

At the end of the story, Dr Moffat shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid that the only conclusion we can reach is that this Dr Lubega is substituting a cheap generic for a costly drug but charging his patients the full cost." "And that would harm them?" she asked. "It could," said Dr Moffat. "Some of the generics are all right, but others do not necessarily do what they're meant to. There's an issue of purity, you see.

There was corruption at every turn, and those who stood for honesty and integrity were more and more vulnerable, more and more isolated amongst the hordes of people who simply had no moral sense. And

If everybody is a villain, then nobody is a villain

A man could be a hereditary ruler, or an elected president, but not be a gentleman, and that would show in his every deed. But if you had a leader who was a gentleman, with all that this meant, then you were lucky indeed.

Von Igelfeld wondered whether there was a moral obligation to read a letter. Surely the moral principles involved were the same as those which applied when somebody addressed a remark to one. One does not have to answer; but inevitably does.

The problem was, of course, that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded of this, because if you left it to them to work out for themselves they would never bother. They would just find out what was best for them and they would call that the right thing.

And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often the opposite of what one really wanted to do.

The problem, of course, was that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded about this, because if you left it to them to work out for themselves, they would never bother. They would just find out what was best for them, and then they would call that the right thing.