The moral world has no particular objection to vice, but…
““The moral world has no particular objection to vice, but an insuperable repugnance to hearing vice called by its proper name. A polite public will no more bear to read an authentic description of vice than a truly-refined English or American female will permit the word 'breeches' to be pronounced in her chaste hearing. And yet, madam, both are walking the world before our faces every day without much shocking us. If you were to blush every time they went by, what complexions you would have!””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Society tolerates vice when unnamed but recoils at its explicit labeling, exposing hypocrisy in moral standards.
In simple terms: People accept wrongdoing silently but are offended by naming it.
Key Takeaway
Name problems openly to challenge double standards.
Themes
hypocrisy
morality
social norms
language
gender
Mood
critical
reflective
ironic
Type
literary
satirical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- political commentary
- media analysis
- personal relationships
- education
- law enforcement
Key Concepts
social criticism
censorship
public decency
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape our moral judgments?
- Can confronting vice directly improve societal integrity?
A Different Perspective
Naming vice can provoke backlash and resistance, limiting honest discourse.