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Ordinary morality is innate in my view.
Christopher Hitchens
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Ordinary morality is something that humans are naturally inclined to possess.

Christopher Hitchens suggests that basic moral principles are inherent to human nature rather than solely dictated by external laws or religious teachings. This implies that people have an intrinsic understanding of right and wrong, which shapes their behavior and ethical decision-making.

Themes

MoralityInnateNatureEthicsHuman Behavior

In practice

Example use cases

In a philosophy class discussing human nature and ethics, one might use Hitchens' quote to illustrate the idea that morality is inherent.

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Let me tell you something: for hundreds of thousands of years, this kind of discussion would have been impossible to have, or those like us would have been having it at the risk of our lives. Religion now comes to us in this smiley-face, ingratiating way β€” because it’s had to give so much more ground and because we know so much more. But you’ve got no right to forget the way it behaved when it was strong, and when it really did believe that it had God on its side.
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