It is convention and arbitrary rewards which make all the…
“It is convention and arbitrary rewards which make all the merit and demerit of what we call vice and virtue.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Societal norms and rewards shape our judgments of good and bad, rather than intrinsic moral truth.
In simple terms: Rewards and conventions label actions as vice or virtue.
Question the basis of moral judgments.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- legal systems
- personal decisions
- cultural criticism
- education policies
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What rewards influence your view of virtue?
- Can virtue exist without external incentives?
Moral labels can be manipulated by changing rewards.