Quotes About Ethics

Mr Davis knew any quantity of Greek, Latin, Algebra, and ologies of all sorts, so he was called a fine teacher; and manners, morals, feelings, and examples were not considered of any particular importance.

for though we do want to be good, it's hard work, and we forget, and don't do our best.

Wasn't it good of him? I like such things, for as Father says, trifles show character. When I mentioned it to Mrs. K., that evening, she laughed, and said, That must have been Professor Bhaer, he's always doing things of that sort.

She began to see that character is a better possession than money, rank, intellect, or beauty, and to feel that if greatness is what a wise man has defined it to be, 'truth, reverence, and good will'

You will find that money can buy everything, even the conscience and integrity of a priest, began Tempest.

Many men can be what the world calls great: very few men are what God calls good.

I almost wish I hadn't any conscience, it's so inconvenient. If I didn't care about doing right, and didn't feel uncomfortable when doing wrong, I should get on capitally. I can't help wishing, sometimes, that father and mother hadn't been so dreadfully particular about such things.

Right and wrong were shades of meaning, not sides of a coin.

While their moral standards for the rest of the world were rigid, they were always able to find excuses for their own shortcomings. It is these people really, said my father, small-time hypocrites, who may in special cases be capable of monstrous acts if given the chance.

Rockefeller believed that nonprofit institutions should be even more circumspect with money than business organizations:

The Morgans were never litigious.

Whenever his ambition was about to devour him, his conscience urged restraint.

He exercised a supervisory role and knew all about the money funneled to politicians.

There is no essential difference between religion and morality except that the one is more intense and passionate than the other.

He was also accused of mixing the lawless and the honorable, of ignoring ethical niceties, in a manner reminiscent of his father.

In his business career, John D. Rockefeller was accused of many sins, but he took pride in paying his debts promptly and abiding strictly by contracts.

Rockefeller even hesitated to punish serious offenses and instead of prosecuting the occasional embezzler simply dismissed him.

Businessmen such as Rockefeller preferred to think of themselves as victims of political extortion, not as initiators of bribes.

Rockefeller's papers reveal that he and Standard Oil entered willingly into a staggering amount of corruption.

Whenever he was about to commit some particularly heinous act, he first found a character flaw in the victim then proceeded with a serene conscience.

If only Rockefeller had played fair, Emery insisted, he would have ended up the more powerful oilman.

businessmen respected them for their honest dealings.

With such men at the helm, the GEB, for all its good works, would fall considerably short of heaven.

begged the larger question of whether people should accept money gained by what they deemed unscrupulous means.