Quotes about Ethics

And he cares nothing for their praise—men who can't even meet their own standards.

Anywhere you can lead your life, you can lead a good one.

It is not fit that I should give myself pain, for I have never intentionally given pain even to another.

To the best of my judgment, when I look at the human character I see no virtue placed there to counter justice. But I see one to counter pleasure: self-control.

How ridiculous not to flee from one's own wickedness, which is possible, yet endeavour to flee from another's, which is not.

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.

The truly fortunate person has created his own good fortune through good habits of the soul, good intentions, and good actions.

Justice: so that you'll speak the truth, frankly and without evasions, and act as you should—and as other people deserve.

When you deal with irrational animals, with things and circumstances, be generous and straightforward. You are rational; they are not. When you deal with fellow human beings, behave as one. They share in the logos. And invoke the gods regardless. Don't worry about how long you'll go on doing this. A single afternoon would be enough. 24.

No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to be, but be such.

And he who pursues pleasure will not abstain from injustice, and this is plainly impiety.

In order to live in accord with nature, it is necessary to know what nature is; and to this end a threefold division of philosophy is made—into Physics, dealing with the universe and its laws, the problems of divine government and teleology; Logic, which trains the mind to discern true from false; and Ethics, which applies the knowledge thus gained and tested to practical life.