Quotes about Ethics

Hear no evil, speak no evil, and you'll never be invited to a party.

Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one's age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality.

Each class would have preached the importance of those virtues, for whose exercise there was no necessity in their own lives.

There are only two ways, as you know, of becoming civilized. One is by being cultured, the other is by being corrupt.

No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style. No artist is ever morbid.

Sin is the only color- element left in modern life.

Charity creates a multitude of sins.

The only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her, if she is pretty, and to some one else, if she is plain.

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all. The nineteenth century dislike of realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass. The nineteenth century dislike of romanticism is the rage of Caliban not seeing his own face in a glass. The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium

My duty as a gentleman has never interfered with my pleasures in the smallest degree.

are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault.

However, I don't propose to discuss politics, sociology, or metaphysics with you. I like persons better than principles, and I like persons with no principles better than anything else in the world.