How pathetically scanty my self-knowledge is compared with, say, my knowledge of my room. There is no such thing as observation of the inner world, as there is of the outer world.
Franz KafkaRead
The ultimate notion of right is that which tends to the universal good; and when one's acting in a certain manner has this tendency he has a right thus to act.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Right actions are those that promote the overall good for everyone.
This quote by Francis Hutcheson emphasizes the importance of actions that contribute to the universal good. It suggests that the morality of an action is determined by its outcomes; if an action promotes well-being and benefits the collective, then it is justified as the right course to take.
Themes
RightGoodUniversalActionMoralityWell-Being
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about social policies, one might use this quote to argue for actions that enhance communal well-being.
Similar quotes
Imperfection is in some sort essential to all that we know in life.
John RuskinRead
The salvation of mankind lies only in making everything the concern of all.
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynRead
I am baffled by the way sophisticated theologians who know Adam and Eve never existed still keep talking about it.
Richard DawkinsRead
Anarchism, to me, means not only the denial of authority, not only a new economy, but a revision of the principles of morality. It means the development of the individual as well as the assertion of the individual. It means self-responsibility, and not leader worship.
Voltairine De CleyreRead
We fought a war on poverty, and poverty won
Ronald ReaganRead