We must learn to distinguish morality from moralizing.
A code of values accepted by choice is a code of morality.
Me, myself, personally, I like to keep myself private. I have never said I am a paragon of virtue, a model of morality. I simply do what I do.
The Japanese chose the principle of eternal peace as the basis of morality for our rebirth after the War.
"As for that," said Waldenshare, "sensible men are all of the same religion. " "Pray, what is that?" inquired the Prince. "Sensible men never tell. "
You have the effrontery to be squeamish, it thought at him. But we were dragons. We were supposed to be cruel, cunning, heartless and terrible. But this much I can tell you, you ape – the great face pressed even closer, so that Wonse was staring into the pitiless depths of his eyes – we never burned and tortured and ripped one another apart and called it morality.
I think most of the art now is involved with a denial of any kind of absolute morality, or general morality.
Every act of every man is a moral act, to be tested by moral, and not by economic criteria.
A lover would find life less broken apart after a misguided love affair if they could feel that they had been sinful rather than foolish.
Indeed, without emotion it seems unlikely we can even have morality.
The power of transgression is the archetypal, foundational story of the Bible. We want to break our own codes - sometimes of morality, sometimes of ethics, sometimes of the power structure, sometimes of the institution of marriage - because there is freedom and power in transgression.
Religion is not just incongruent with morality, but in essential ways incompatible with it.
So, I think that's the centerpiece of morality: Don't lie. But to do that, you have to go a step further and find out what the truth is.
Ten men have failed from defect in morals, where one has failed from defect in intellect.
There is one thing I must tell you because I just found it to be a truth. . . You must always be yourself no matter what the price. It is the highest form of morality.
What we call 'morals' is simply blind obedience to words of command.
Morality, like numinous awe, is a jump; in it, man goes beyond anything that can be 'given' in the facts of experience.
Some people's blameless lives are to blame for a good deal.
There is a very real evil consequent on ascribing supernatural origin to the received maxilms of morality. That origin consecrates the whole of them and protects them from being discussed or criticized.
Modern societies march towards morality in proportion as they leave religion behind.