Germaine de Staël Quotes

Conscience is but a word that cowards use, devised at first to keep the strong in awe

Conscience, that vicegerent of God in the human heart, whose "still small voice" the loudest revelry cannot drown.

Conscience is the spiritual, supernatural principle in man, and it is not of social origin at all. It is rather the perversion and confusion of conscience that is of social origin.

The great theatre for virtue is conscience.

Conscience is a God to all mortals.

Conscience has no more to do with gallantry than it has with politics.

Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does.

Morality is a test of our conformity rather than our integrity.

I'm just doing what my conscience asks me to do.

Seeking the good is not primarily about rules and commandments.

Conscience is our unerring judge until we finally stifle it.

If the Soviet Government orders me to act against my conscience, I do not obey …. Conscience is above the law. No law which is against the conscience can bind.

Duty is the essence of manhood.

Duty is a better guide than stars or statutes.

Whom conscience, ne'er asleep, Wounds with incessant strokes, not loud, but deep.

Conscience, that boon companion who sets a man free under the strong breastplate of innocence, that bids him on and fear not.

We talk so much about one's rights... so little about what is actually right.

Be more careful of your conscience than of your estate. The latter can be bought and sold; the former never.

To an honest man, it is an honor to have remembered his duty.

I must conclude that Conscience, if that be the name of it, was not given us for no purpose, or for a hindrance. However flattering order and expediency may look, it is but the repose of a lethargy, and we will choose rather to be awake, though it be stormy, and maintain ourselves on this earth, and in this life, as we may, without signing our death-warrant. Let us see if we cannot stay here, where He has put us, on his own conditions. Does not his law reach as far as his light? The expedients of the nations clash with one another: only the absolutely right is expedient for all.

The world will never be in any manner of order or tranquility until men are firmly convinced that conscience, honor and credit are all in one interest

Morality or duty never yet made a man happy in himself or dear to others.

I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long run- in the long run, I say! - success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it.

Even when there is no law, there is conscience.