Bonhoeffer examined and dismissed a number of approaches…
““Bonhoeffer examined and dismissed a number of approaches to dealing with evil. "Reasonable people," he said, think that "with a little reason, they can pull back together a structure that has come apart at the joints." Then there are the ethical "fanatics" who "believe that they can face the power of evil with the purity of their will and their principles." Men of"conscience" become overwhelmed because the "countless respectable and seductive disguises and masks in which evil approaches them make their conscience anxious and unsure until they finally content themselves with an assuaged conscience instead of a good conscience." They must "deceive their own conscience in order not to despair." Finally there are some who retreat to a "private virtuousness. Such people neither steal, nor murder,nor commit adultery, but do good according to their abilities. but... they must close their eyes and ears to the injustice around them. Only at the cost of self-deception can they keep their private blamelessness clean from the stains of responsible action in the world. In all that they do, what they fail to do will not let them rest.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
People confront evil in various ways: rational repair, fanatic purity, or private virtue, each with limits and moral blind spots.
In simple terms: Different approaches to evil have strengths and flaws.
Key Takeaway
Choose ethical action over self‑deception.
Themes
ethics
evil
conscience
integrity
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- politics
- social activism
- personal decision‑making
Key Concepts
moral psychology
responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance personal virtue with confronting injustice?
- When is private goodness insufficient?
A Different Perspective
It may oversimplify complex moral dilemmas.