Quotes About Ethics

IV. He that sinneth, sinneth unto himself. He that is unjust, hurts himself, in that he makes himself worse than he was before. Not he only that committeth, but he also that omitteth something, is oftentimes unjust.

Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so. I do not say only with respect to the continuity of the series of things, but with respect to what is just, and as if it were done by one who assigns to each thing its value. Observe then as thou hast begun; and whatever thou doest, do it in conjunction with this, the being good, and in the sense in which a man is properly understood to be good. Keep to this in every action.

25. Try how the life of the good man suits thee, the life of him who is satisfied with his portion out of the whole, and satisfied with his own just acts and benevolent disposition.

If it is not right, do not do it: if it is not true, do not say it. For let thy efforts beIn everything always observe what the thing is which produces for thee an appearance

Virtue alone is happiness, and vice is unhappiness.

But fortunate means that a man has assigned to himself a good fortune: and a good fortune is good disposition of the soul, good emotions, good actions.

There's only one crop to be reaped from your time on earth, and that is a reverential disposition and socially useful actions.

If this is neither my own badness, nor an effect of my own badness, and the common weal is not injured, why am I troubled about it? And what is the harm to the common weal?

If it be not fitting, do it not. If it be not true, speak it not. Ever maintain thine own purpose and resolution free from all compulsion and necessity

Sin is the the corruption of reason. That's why humans are capable of such evils, while unreasoning animals are not.

En primer lugar, nada hagas sin reflexionar ni sin fin alguno, y en segundo, no lleves otro fin sino el bien de la sociedad.

HE WHO acts unjustly acts impiously. For since the universal nature has made rational animals for the sake of one another to help one another according to their deserts, but in no way to injure one another, he who transgresses her will, is clearly guilty of impiety towards the highest divinity.

What then is that about which we ought to employ our serious pains? This one thing, thoughts just, and acts social, and words which never lie, and a disposition which gladly accepts all that happens, as necessary, as usual, as flowing from a principle and source of the same kind.

It's courtesy and kindness that define a human being

Remind yourself that your task is to be a good human being; remind yourself what nature demands of people. Then do it, without hesitation, and speak the truth as you see it. But with kindness. With humility. Without hypocrisy.

The noblest kind retribution is to become not like your enemy

Two characteristics shared by gods and men (and every rational creature): i. Not to let others hold you back. ii. To locate goodness in thinking and doing the right thing, and to limit your desires to that. 35.

nor to showing myself off as a man who practises much discipline, or does benevolent acts in order to make a display

42. I have no right to do myself an injury. Have I ever injured anyone else if I could avoid it?

FROM MY GRANDFATHER VERUS I LEARNED GOOD MORALS AND THE government of my temper.

States will never be happy until rulers become philosophers or philosophers become rulers. —PLATO, The Republic

The responsibility is all yours; no one can stop you from being honest or straightforward.

One who for his word or actions neither needs an oath, nor any man to be a witness.

From Plato: the man who has an elevated mind and takes a view of all time and of all substance, dost thou suppose it possible for him to think that human life is anything great? It is not possible, he said. Such a man then will think that death also is no evil.