"It's daft, locking us up," said Nanny. "I'd have had us killed."That's because you're basically good," said Magrat. "The good are innocent and create justice. The bad are guilty, which is why they invent mercy."

Ethics, Justice, Goodness, Mercy, Innocence

26

Create Your Own Wallpaper

Standard

Customized

"It's daft, locking us up," said Nanny. "I'd have had us killed."That's because you're basically good," said Magrat. "The good are innocent and create justice. The bad are guilty, which is why they invent mercy."

Exlpore more Ethics quotes

"But you can't just leave it at that!" said Anathema, pushing forward. "Think of all things you could do! Good things."Like what?" said Adam suspiciously."Well... you could bring all the whales back, to start with."He put his head on one side. "An' that'd stop people killing them?"She hesitated. It would have been nice to say yes."An' if people do start killing 'em, what would you ask me to do about 'em?" said Adam. "No. I reckon I'm getting the hang of this now. Once I start messing around like that, there'd be no stoppin' it. Seems to me, the only sensible thing is for people to know if they kill a whale, they've got a dead whale."

Terry Pratchett, English Author

Ethics, Environment, Morality, Responsibility, Power

"Religion [dharma] is that where there is no irreligion (adharma, immorality). Religion cannot exist where there is irreligion. There can be only one or the other. Behind every intention, there is either [the force of] religion or [the force of] irreligion."

Dada Bhagwan, Indian Spiritual Leader

Ethics, Religion, Morality, Truth, Wisdom

"Doing good things for bad people is no different than doing bad things on good people."

M.F. Moonzajer, Afghan Author

Ethics, Morality, Justice, Truth, Regret

"We are all flawed and creatures of our times. Is it fair to judge us by the unknown standards of the future?"

Carl Sagan, American Scientist

Ethics, Judgment, Fairness, Time, Perspective

"Because sometimes you have to do something bad to do something good."

Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

Ethics, Morality, Action, Truth, Justice

"There is one thing, Emma, which a man can always do if he chooses, and that is his duty; not by manoeuvring and finessing, but by vigour and resolution. - Mr. Knightley."

Jane Austen, British Writer

Ethics, Duty, Resolution, Virtue, Action

"Of course, in the process, you must never do harm to others in any serious way, or you'll cease to amuse Him. Then payment comes due for promises you didn't keep."

Dean Koontz, American Author

Ethics, Promise, Responsibility, Harm

"It is better to be slave to righteousness than slave to sin."

Lailah Gifty Akita, Ghanaian Author

Ethics, Righteousness, Sin, Faith, Choice

"Happiness at any price is no happiness at all."

Abdulazeez Henry Musa, Nigerian Author

Ethics, Happiness, Morality, Selfishness, Empathy

"Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience, then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right."

Henry David Thoreau, American Author

Ethics, Conscience, Law, Morality, Rights

Explore more quotes by Terry Pratchett

"But you can't just leave it at that!" said Anathema, pushing forward. "Think of all things you could do! Good things."Like what?" said Adam suspiciously."Well... you could bring all the whales back, to start with."He put his head on one side. "An' that'd stop people killing them?"She hesitated. It would have been nice to say yes."An' if people do start killing 'em, what would you ask me to do about 'em?" said Adam. "No. I reckon I'm getting the hang of this now. Once I start messing around like that, there'd be no stoppin' it. Seems to me, the only sensible thing is for people to know if they kill a whale, they've got a dead whale."

Ethics

"Anyway, it's like with bikes,' said the first speaker authoritatively. 'I thought I was going to get this bike with seven gears and one of them razorblade saddles and purple paint and everything, and they gave me this light blue one. With a basket. A girl's bike.''Well. You're a girl,' said one of the others.'That's sexism, that is. Going around giving people girly presents just because they're a girl."

Change

"Always be wary of any helpful item that weighs less than its operating manual."

Humor

"One cannot help feeling that some alternative occupation-lettuce farming, say-would offer somewhat less of a risk of being put to death by installments. Why do you persist in it?Goldeneyes Dactylos shrugged."I'm good at it, he said."

Purpose

"Writing is the most fun you can have by yourself."

Writing

"I believe the term is 'eminent domain.'Ah, yes. That means 'theft by the government."

Politics

"It's all about balance, do you see? Balance is the trick. Keep the balance and - " she stopped. "You've ridden on a seesaw? One end goes up, one end goes down. But the bit in the middle, that stays where it is. Upness and downness go right through it. Don't matter how high or low the ends go, it keeps the balance." She sniffed. "Magic is mostly movin' stuff around."

Life

"Sometimes thinking is like talking to another person, but that person is also you."

Wisdom

"Questions don't have to make sense, Vincent," said Miss Susan. "But answers do."

Wisdom

"Dwarfs were not a naturally religious species, but in a world where pit props could crack without warning and pockets of fire damp could suddenly explode they'd seen the need for gods as the sort of supernatural equivalent of a hard hat. Besides, when you hit your thumb with an eight-pound hammer it's nice to be able to blaspheme. It takes a very special and strong-minded kind of atheist to jump up and down with their hand clasped under their other armpit and shout, "Oh, random-fluctuations-in-the-space-time-continuum!" or "Aaargh, primitive-and-outmoded-concept on a crutch!"

Change