And what constitutes evil, real evil, is the taking of a single human life. Whether a man would die tomorrow or the day after or eventually... it doesn't matter. Because if God does not exist, then life... every second of it... Is all we have.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the moral weight of taking a human life, positing that life’s value is paramount, especially in a godless universe.
In this quote, Anne Rice expresses a profound viewpoint on the sanctity of human life. She suggests that if there is no divine authority, then the fleeting nature of human existence makes each moment precious. The essence of evil, in her view, lies in the act of taking someone else's life, which diminishes the value of all human experiences and the possibility for future joy and discovery. The weight of existence and the fragility of life are central to understanding the morality surrounding actions that impact others.
In practice
In a public discussion about moral philosophy, you might reference this quote to illustrate the value of life.
From my stone pillow I have dreamed dreams of the mortal world above. I have heard its voices, its new music, as lullabies as I lie in my grave. I have envisioned its fantastical discoveries. I have known its courage in the timeless sanctum of my thoughts. And though it shuts me out with its dazzling forms, I long for one with the strength to roam it fearlessly, to ride the Devil's Road through its heart.
We all suffer under a curse, the curse that we know more than we can endure, and there is nothing, absolutely nothing we can do about the force and the lure of this knowledge.
And so this young one, this young one whom I had so loved, I had to forsake, no matter how broken my heart, no matter how lonely my soul, no matter how bruised my intellect and spirit.
Dear God, help me. Do not forget me on this tiny cinder lost in a galaxy that is lost–a heart no bigger than a speck of dust beating, beating against death, against meaninglessness, against guilt, against sorrow.
The vampires have always been metaphors for me. They've always been vehicles through which I can express things I have felt very, very deeply.
In the very depths of Hell, do not demons love one another?
We are unraveling our navels so that we may ingest the sun. We are not afraid of the darkness. We trust that the moon shall guide us. We are determining the future at this very moment. We know that the heart is the philosopher's stone. Our music is our alchemy.
I'm craving more soul, I'm craving more truth, I'm craving more socially - just people that are aware of what's going on in the world.
There are not a few among the disciples of charity who require, in their vocation, scarcely less excitement than the votaries of pleasure in theirs.
If you suffocate my blackness, you've got to realize that's supremacy.
The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.
I have tried in my way to be free.
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