Well, listen then. On the other side, fresh young lives…
““Well, listen then. On the other side, fresh young lives thrown away for want of help and by thousands, on every side! A hundred thousand good deeds could be done and helped, on that old woman's money which will be buried in a monastery! Hundreds, thousands perhaps, might be set on the right path; dozens of families saved from destitution, from ruin, from vice, from the Lock hospitals—and all with her money. Kill her, take her money and with the help of it devote oneself to the service of humanity and the good of all. What do you think, would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds? For one life thousands would be saved from corruption and decay. One death, and a hundred lives in exchange—it's simple arithmetic! Besides, what value has the life of that sickly, stupid, ill-natured old woman in the balance of existence! No more than the life of a louse, of a black-beetle, less in fact because the old woman is doing harm. She is wearing out the lives of others; the other day she bit Lizaveta's finger out of spite; it almost had to be amputated.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The argument rationalizes murder by weighing imagined collective benefit against a single life, exposing moral absurdity.
In simple terms: Killing one to save many is a flawed moral calculus.
Key Takeaway
Reject utilitarian justification of murder.
Themes
morality
utilitarianism
justice
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- legal ethics debates
- philosophical discussions
- policy making
- education curricula
Key Concepts
ethical relativism
value of life
Questions to Reflect On
- Is any life expendable for a greater good?
- What safeguards prevent utilitarian abuse?
A Different Perspective
Such reasoning ignores individual rights and dignity.