Chastity does not mean abstention from sexual wrong; it means something flaming, like Joan of Arc.

There is no substitute for talent. Industry and all its virtues are of no avail.

The endeavor to understand is the first and only basis of virtue.

Skepticism is a virtue in history as well as in philosophy.

There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents.

Silence is the virtue of fools.

But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint.

Modesty is not only an ornament, but also a guard to virtue.

Forgiveness is not a feeling – it’s a decision we make because we want to do what’s right before God. It’s a quality decision that won’t be easy and it may take time to get through the process, depending on the severity of the offense.

It’s better to be good than evil, but one achieves goodness at a terrific cost.

One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.

The love of economy is the root of all virtue.

The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue.

And whether you’re an honest man, or whether you’re a thief, depends on whose solicitor has given me my brief.

In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

After the first blush of sin comes its indifference.

Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.

This life, which had been the tomb of his virtue and of his honour, is but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

If we cut up beasts simply because they cannot prevent us and because we are backing our own side in the struggle for existence, it is only logical to cut up imbeciles, criminals, enemies, or capitalists for the same reasons.

Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so.

The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.

The difference is too nice – Where ends the virtue or begins the vice.

Know then this truth, enough for man to know virtue alone is happiness below.

It makes a great deal of difference whether one wills not to sin or has not the knowledge to sin.

In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.

Abortion is clearly wrong.

The thing that alarms me is that there are so many clergymen who say that the so-called ‚new morality‘ is all right. They say we’re living in a new generation; let’s be relevant, let’s change God’s law. Let’s say that adultery is all right under certain circumstances; fornication’s all right under certain circumstances. If it’s ‚meaningful.‘

Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial.

Those who have virtue always in their mouths, and neglect it in practice, are like a harp, which emits a sound pleasing to others, while itself is insensible of the music.

Use every man after his desert, and who should scape whipping?

The story being told in ‚Star Wars‘ is a classic one. Every few hundred years, the story is retold because we have a tendency to do the same things over and over again. Power corrupts, and when you’re in charge, you start doing things that you think are right, but they’re actually not.

To be ashamed of one’s immorality: that is a step on the staircase at whose end one is also ashamed of one’s morality.

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.

Chastity – the most unnatural of all the sexual perversions.

Repeal the Missouri Compromise – repeal all compromises – repeal the Declaration of Independence – repeal all past history, you still cannot repeal human nature. It will be the abundance of man’s heart that slavery extension is wrong; and out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth will continue to speak.

A strong argument for the religion of Christ is this – that offences against Charity are about the only ones which men on their death-beds can be made – not to understand – but to feel – as crime.

Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set.

It is one of the superstitions of the human mind to have imagined that virginity could be a virtue.

May be is very well, but Must is the master. It is my duty to show justice without recompense.

No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death. He and his are not neglected by the gods.

Virtue she finds too painful an endeavour, content to dwell in decencies for ever.

About morals, I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.

Whilst shame keeps its watch, virtue is not wholly extinguished in the heart; nor will moderation be utterly exiled from the minds of tyrants.

Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.

I’ve been very lucky, and therefore I owe it to try and reduce the inequity in the world. And that’s kind of a religious belief. I mean, it’s at least a moral belief.

When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that’s my religion.

The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep’s throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. Plainly, the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of liberty.

All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbor as yourself.

Sometimes we look at gay being a bigger sin than being proud or not telling the truth. I don’t think God categorizes sins.

All human laws are, properly speaking, only declaratory; they have no power over the substance of original justice.

If the Great Way perishes there will morality and duty. When cleverness and knowledge arise great lies will flourish. When relatives fall out with one another there will be filial duty and love. When states are in confusion there will be faithful servants.

Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.

If what you have done is unjust, you have not succeeded.

The opportunity for doing mischief is found a hundred times a day, and of doing good once in a year.

A man must be both stupid and uncharitable who believes there is no virtue or truth but on his own side.

Where there is no opposition to evil, it multiplies.

The safest course is to do nothing against one’s conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.

It is better to do one’s own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.

Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.

Virtue is relative to the actions and ages of each of us in all that we do.