Quotes About Ethics

The philosopher's stone which turned a mobster in Newport, Kentucky into a pillar of the community in Las Vegas, Nevada was "philanthropy.

In his book, Jüdisches Erwerbsleben, Georg Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI's great uncle, wrote: "Jewish commerce can be characterized by two manifestations: 1) it is based on the exploitation of the work of others without any productive activity of its own and 2) it is characterized by gambling and speculation on the differential in values as the way to achieve riches.

Morals lead to order; passions lead to revolution.

Political ideology can corrupt the mind, and science.

Individual versus group selection results in a mix of altruism and selfishness, of virtue and sin, among the members of a society.

True character arises from a deeper well than religion.

A very Faustian choice is upon us: whether to accept our corrosive and risky behavior as the unavoidable price of population and economic growth, or to take stock of ourselves and search for a new environmental ethic.

We are not quite sure that the Sermon on the Mount is the Sermon for the mart. We are not sure, and an unsure place is an unsafe place* We must go on or go back. We must be more Christian or less.

Seeley was right when he said that "moral deterioration is bound to set in in any subject race.

Honor bright! Fair play is a jewel!

A dwarf will fight for honor, but a man will kill for pride." Auron thought for a moment. "What's the difference?" "Honor is how others see you. Pride is how you see yourself.

Never favour those who flatter you most, but hold rather to those who risk your displeasure for your own good. Never neglect business for pleasure, organise your life so that there is time in it for relaxation and entertainment. Give the business of government your full attention. Inform yourself as much as you can before taking any decision. Make every effort to get to know men of distinction, so that you may call on them when you need them. Be courteous to all, speak hurtfully to no man.

For what [Aristotle] had done was to gather together all the knowledge of his time. He wrote about the natural sciences – the stars, animals and plants; about history and people living together in a state – what we call politics; about the right way to reason – logic; and the right way to behave – ethics.

The difference between Socrates and Jesus is that no one had ever been put to death in Socrates' name. And that is because Socrates' ideas were never made law. Law, in whatever name, protects privilege.

Because like all whores you value propriety. You are creature of capitalism, the ethics of which are so totally corrupt and hypocritical that your beauty is no more than the beauty of gold, which is to say false and cold and useless.

To have the vice of scruple - to be an automaton of remorse.

You told me once that we shall be judged by our intentions, not by our accomplishments. I thought it a grand remark. But we must intend to accomplish—not sit intending on a chair.

There is only a certain amount of kindness in the world…just as there is a certain amount of light. We cast a shadow on something wherever we stand, and it is no good moving from place to place to save things…Choose a place where you won't do very much harm and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine.

One can tip too much as well as too little, indeed the coin that buys the exact truth has not yet been minted.

There is no harm in deceiving society as long as she does not find you out, because it is only when she finds you out that you have harmed her; she is not like a friend or God, who are injured by the mere existence of unfaithfulness.

Don't you think there are two great things in life that we ought to aim at—truth and kindness? Let's have both if we can, but let's be sure of having one or the other.

If high ideals make a young man rude, the sooner he gets rid of them the better

I was brought up to be honest; the trouble is it gets me nowhere.

Something had changed. He had journeyed—as on rare occasions a man must—till he stood behind right and wrong. On the banks of the grey torrent of life, love is the only flower.