Tom Stoppard Quotes

Are right and wrong convertible terms, dependant upon popular opinion?

… two men may be as sincere, as earnest, as faithful, as uncompromising, and yet hold opinions far asunder as the poles

Morality is not merely different in different communities. Its level is not the same for all the component groups within the same community.

The problem, of course, was that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded about this, because if you left it to them to work out for themselves, they would never bother. They would just find out what was best for them, and then they would call that the right thing. That's how most people thought.

But the imposition of morality onto science, - where it does not belong - has become rampant in recent years.

There must be right and wrong answers to questions of morality and values that potentially fall within the purview of science. On this view, some people and cultures will be right (to a greater or lesser degree), and some will be wrong, with respect to what they deem important in life.

What is right, what is wrong, how can anyone say? I view very, very, few things as Right with a capital R.

I consistently encounter people in academic settings and scientists and journalists who feel that you can't say that anyone is wrong in any deep sense about morality, or with regard to what they value in life. I think this doubt about the application of science and reason to questions of value is really quite dangerous.

Of God and Evil, there is nothing simply and absolutely so; nor any common Rule of Good and Evil, to be taken from the nature of the objects themselves.

… what is true for me may be blasphemy for others.

It is not a single moral voice that is heard today but a chorus of voices. Each speaks to its own values but joins around a common article of faith: the belief that morality is better left to parents than to politicians.

We are made stronger by differences of opinion on faith and conscience.

They all deserve to die. Even you, Mrs. Lovett Even I. Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief For the rest of us death would be relief.

I know one thing you don't. I know the difference between Right and Wrong. They didn't teach you that at school.' Rose didn't answer; the woman was quite right: the two words meant nothing to her. Their taste was extinguished by stronger foods--Good and Evil.

Why are we talking about this good and evil? They're just names for sides. We know that.

If you say morality is just what you like, you lose the metaphysical level of what in the history of philosophy is called 'categorical imperative.'

Even people that are evil believe what they're doing is good. I don't agree with those people, but it's about understanding that there are those kinds of points of view.

Secularism has no central goal, it's just promoting endless relativism. That's why there is a huge moral drift in the country. Everybody is infallible except the Pope, if you like.

I think most people are indifferent in their evaluation of what is good or bad.

It's always interesting to bring scientists together, because they typically have very polarized views.

I don't believe so much in good and evil.

Defenders see things way different than blockers.

Let us not decide what is good, but let it be considered good not to decide it.

The world of empirical morality consists for the most part of nothing but ill will and envy.

I think that moral philosophy is useful for framing questions, but terrible at answering them. I think moral psychology is booming right now, and we're making a lot of progress on understanding how we actually work, what our moral nature is.