Richard Rorty Quotes

Look, if America - if being an American means anything, it means not having to lie under oath, not even for the president.

There is no excuse for perjury - never, never, never. There is truth, and the truth demands respect.

As a citizen of this country, I've got to be honest to the people of South Africa.

You know I took an oath to tell the truth when I took the witness stand.

When I testified in front of Congress, I know that I was testifying under oath and I told the truth.

Most of all, be honest with yourself and make sure those in political office, our so called public servants, are being honest, holding them accountable for their actions!

Candor and accountability in a democracy is very important. Hypocrisy has no place.

We artists have the dignity to tell the truth to the people, unlike politicians.

You ask men in office to be honest; I ask them to serve the public.

That justice should be administered between men, it is necessary that testimonies of fact be alleged; and that witnesses should apprehend themselves greatly obliged to discover the truth, according to their conscience, in dark and doubtful cases.

Public business … must always be done by somebody…. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not.

I’d love to say that politicians who lie should be indicted, but lying except under oath is not a crime—it’s a moral crime however.

When citizens testify before grand juries they are required to tell the truth. Without the truth, our criminal justice system cannot serve our nation or its citizens.

I cannot flinch from saying such things in public. As a Representative of the People I am duty bound to do so. Justice cries out to me not to dissemble.

There may sometimes be a mistake, but I think that the citizens of America who are sworn to uphold their duty in a jury setting are going to try to do their best to do that regardless of the consequences.

For me, public service is an honor, and I have the ultimate respect for the rule of law.

The responsibilities of someone in a more free and open society are, again obviously, greater than those who may pay some cost for honesty and integrity.

Americans can live with the fact that good people sometimes give their lives for this country, but what they can't take, what they can't live with is when their government is not square with them.

If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. -Speech at Clinton, Illinois, September 8, 1854.

We need to restore the full meaning of that old word, duty. It is the other side of rights.

I just try to be honest, because I think that's part of my job description as a writer.

Whatever else there may be in our nature, responsibility toward truth is one of its attributes.

OATH, n. In law, a solemn appeal to the Deity, made binding upon the conscience by a penalty for perjury.

In common honesty, we must not conceal the fact that free forgiveness in one sense will cost everything.

In a world of lies and liars, an honest work of art is always an act of social responsibility.