Quotes about morality

More lovely virtue, in a lovely form.

There is a material advancement; we desire it. There is, also, a moral grandeur; we hold fast to it.

True morality makes fun of morality.

I cannot call riches better than the baggage of virtue. The Roman word is better, impedimenta. For as the baggage is to an army, so is riches to virtue. It cannot be spared, nor left behind, but it hindereth the march; yea, and the care of it, sometimes loseth or disturbeth the victory.

Virtue is like a rich stone — best plain set.

Prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.

Virtue is like precious odors — most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed.

From these I have drawn the great moral lesson, perhaps the only one of any practical value, to avoid those situations of life which bring our duties into conflict with our interests, and which show us our own advantage in the misfortunes of others; for it is certain that, in such situations, however sincere our love of virtue, we must, sooner or later, inevitably grow weak without perceiving it, and become unjust and wicked in act, without having ceased to be just and good in our hearts.

Invia virtuti nulla est via!

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written, that’s all.

“Let me ask you something.”

“Okay!”

“Are we good guys or are we bad guys?”

“We’re good guys.”

“Well, good guys only do terrible things when our lives depend on it. And we have to feel bad about them afterward.”

“Why?”

“Because otherwise, we become the bad guys.”

Though we admit that the way to hell may be paved with good intentions, we are very sure that the way to heaven is not paved with bad ones.