The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Since survival is the sine qua non, I now define the "moral behavior" as "behavior that tends toward survival".
Interpretation
What this quote means
Moral behavior is defined as actions that promote survival.
In this quote, Heinlein emphasizes that moral behavior should be fundamentally aligned with the principle of survival. He suggests that actions can be considered ethical or moral if they contribute positively to the survival of individuals or society as a whole, linking ethics to the essential need for existence.
Themes
MoralitySurvivalEthicsBehaviorExistence
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethical dilemmas in survival situations, this quote can highlight the importance of survival in moral decisions.
More from Robert A. Heinlein
All quotes βAn armed society is a polite society.
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Democracy is a poor system of government at best; the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
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Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
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Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
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When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
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