--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it comes to specifying the values…" description: "\"“When it comes to specifying the values particular to paganism, people have generally listed features such as these: an eminently aristocratic concepti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/alain-de-benoist-21652_character_when-it-comes-to-specifying-the-values-p_2085882.jpg" --- # When it comes to specifying the values particular to… ![“When it comes to specifying the values particular to paganism, people have generally listed features such as these: an eminently aristocratic conception of the human individual; an ethics founded on honor (“shame” rather than “sin”); an heroic attitude toward life’s challenges; the exaltation and…” quote by Alain de Benoist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/alain-de-benoist-21652_character_when-it-comes-to-specifying-the-values-p_2085882.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/alain-de-benoist-21652_character_when-it-comes-to-specifying-the-values-p_2085882.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/alain-de-benoist-21652_character_when-it-comes-to-specifying-the-values-p_2085882.jpg) > ““When it comes to specifying the values particular to paganism, people have generally listed features such as these: an eminently aristocratic conception of the human individual; an ethics founded on honor (“shame” rather than “sin”); an heroic attitude toward life’s challenges; the exaltation and sacralization of the world, beauty, the body, strength, health; the rejection of any “worlds beyond”; the inseparability of morality and aesthetics; and so on. From this perspective, the highest value is undoubtedly not a form of “justice” whose purpose is essentially interpreted as flattening the social order in the name of equality, but everything that can allow a man to surpass himself. To paganism, it is pure absurdity to consider the results of the workings of life’s basic framework as unjust. In the pagan ethic of honor, the classic antithesis noble vs. base, courageous vs. cowardly, honorable vs. dishonorable, beautiful vs. deformed, sick vs. healthy, and so forth, replace the antithesis operative in a morality based on the concept of sin: good vs. evil, humble vs. vainglorious, submissive vs. proud, weak vs. arrogant, modest vs. boastful, and so on. However, while all this appears to be accurate, the fundamental feature in my opinion is something else entirely. It lies in the denial of dualism.”” [Alain de Benoist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-benoist/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes pagan ethics as honor‑based, aesthetic, and non‑dualistic, opposing sin‑based morality. **In simple terms:** Pagan values focus on honor, beauty, and self‑transcendence, rejecting dualism. Key Takeaway Embrace holistic, honor‑driven values. Themes ethics honor dualism beauty strength Mood reflective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - Personal development - cultural analysis - ethical debates Key Concepts Paganism moral philosophy aesthetics Questions to Reflect On - Can honor replace modern justice? - What are limits of non‑dual ethics? 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From this perspective, the highest value is undoubtedly not a form of “justice” whose purpose is essentially interpreted as flattening the social order in the name of equality, but everything that can allow a man to surpass himself. To paganism, it is pure absurdity to consider the results of the workings of life’s basic framework as unjust. In the pagan ethic of honor, the classic antithesis noble vs. base, courageous vs. cowardly, honorable vs. dishonorable, beautiful vs. deformed, sick vs. healthy, and so forth, replace the antithesis operative in a morality based on the concept of sin: good vs. evil, humble vs. vainglorious, submissive vs. proud, weak vs. arrogant, modest vs. boastful, and so on. However, while all this appears to be accurate, the fundamental feature in my opinion is something else entirely. 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