John Milton Quotes

Is there anybody here who thinks that following the orders takes away the blame Is there anybody here who wouldn't mind a murder by another name?

The moral man is as guilty as the rest. His morality cannot save him.

We become moral when we are unhappy.

All moral laws are merely statements that certain kinds of actions will have good effects.

The idea of determinism combined with complete human responsibility struck me as very hard to reconcile with an idea of justice, let alone mercy.

To what extent is any given man morally responsible for any given act? We do not know.

I want people to come away from my book with questions. Questions about virtue and goodness. Not answers.

I would like us to think about it more explicitly, and not take our intuitions as the given of ethics, but rather to reflect on it, and be more open about the fact that something is an ethical issues and think what we ought to do about it.

While early childhood experiences may impel, they do not compel. In the end, evil is a matter of choice.

There is no rational creature which is not capable both of good and evil

I don't know how to play evil.

To be a fully functioning moral agent, one cannot passively accept moral principles handed down by fiat. Moral principles require moral reasoning.

Should I be the one to play God? We're both about the same age, but we grew up in different neighborhoods.

Conscience is a just but weak judge. Weakness leaves it powerless to execute its judgment.

The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creatures that cannot.

Prudence reproaches; conscience accuses.

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. This isn’t a good idea. This isn’t right.” “There’s all kinds of right,” he murmured. “On the spectrum, we’re still in the safe zone.” ... “Definitely right. Usually right,” Patch continued. “Mostly right. Maybe right.

Necessity may render a doubtful act innocent, but it cannot make it praiseworthy

The Moral Sense teaches us what is right, and how to avoid it-when unpopular.

I'm not saying you did the wrong thing. I'm not even saying it wasn't something I'd thought of doing, myself. But even if it was the just thing to do, or the fitting thing, it still wasn't the right thing.

Morality, thou deadly bane,Thy tens o' thousands thou has slain!

Most men only commit great crimes because of their scruples about petty ones.

To sin is a human business, to justify sins is a devilish business.

If we try to define our own moral universe, there's a price for that.

I was surprised when Nixon passed the test and showed up in heaven, but, I guess Hitler threw off the curve for our century.