John Maynard Keynes Quotes

You are wrong, sir, if you think that a man who is any good at all should take into account the risk of life or death; he should look to this only in his actions, whether what he does is right or wrong, whether he is acting like a good or a bad man.

Civilization rests on the fact that most people do the right thing most of the time.

To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.

You are mistaken, my friend, if you think that a man who is worth anything ought to spend his time weighing up the prospects of life and death. He has only one thing to consider in performing any action - that is, whether he is acting rightly or wrongly, like a good man or a bad one.

There is little evidence that other animals judge the appropriateness of actions that do not directly affect themselves.

Civilization depends on morality.

What is socially irresponsible, once again, is just all my opinion. But there are things that I don't think are cool.

There are people who think that honesty is always the best policy. This is a superstition. There are times when the appearance of it is worth six of it.

A man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong - acting the part of a good man or of a bad.

It’s a good thing when you don’t dare do something if you don’t think it’s right. But it’s not good when you think something’s not right because you don’t dare do it.

For as good habits of the people require good laws to support them, so laws, to be observed, need good habits on the part of the people.

There is no ethics in general. There are only-eventually-ethics of processes by which we treat the possibilities of a situation.

Because it's possible to do, and you have the right to do it, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

Morality is the thing upon which your friends smile, and immorality is the thing upon which they frown

There are multitudes of persons whose idea of liberty is the right to do what they please, instead of the right of doing that which is lawful and best.

A fool is a person who knows the difference between right and wrong, and chooses to do wrong.

I think it is important that people who are perceived as liberals not be afraid of talking about moral and community values.

The very essence of our civilization is that we give a paramount place to morality in all our affairs, public or private.

I do not think I could myself, be brought to support a man for office, whom I knew to be an open enemy of, and scoffer at, religion. Leaving the higher matter of eternal consequences, between him and his Maker, I still do not think any man has the right thus to insult the feelings, and injure the morals, of the community in which he may live.

Where there is not community, trust, respect, ethical behavior are difficult for the young to learn and for the old to maintain.

You've just got to do what you think is right, and just make the decisions based upon noble causes. And a noble cause is peace and security and freedom.

… you were so worried about legal and illegal that you never stopped to think about whether it was right or wrong.

The man who gives his own decisions priority over society is a criminal.

Cease being intimidated by the argument that a right action is impossible because it does not yield maximum profits, or that a wrong action is to be condoned because it pays.