To-day well, my Utopia, if ever I framed one, would be a…
““To-day well, my Utopia, if ever I framed one, would be a land where the laws demanded that people should be vicious. Then one would be able to count at any rate on a little virtue. If no man might live with a woman in any but an irregular union, there would be at once quite a run on honest matrimony and the Law Courts would be full of desperately wicked monogamists; while if every one was expected to steal and swindle, there would soon be an extensive criminal class who respected property.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A society that rewards vice and punishes virtue creates chaos and moral decay.
In simple terms: When evil is praised, good disappears.
Key Takeaway
Promote virtue, discourage vice.
Themes
ethics
society
law
morality
human nature
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
philosophical
satirical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- education
- community building
Key Concepts
virtue
vice
social contract
legal systems
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we protect moral values?
- What incentives support virtue?
A Different Perspective
If everyone acted selfishly, society would collapse.