Assassin Quote by Beilby Porteus
“Kill a man, and you are an assassin. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone, and you are a god.”
About This Quote
Moral judgments shift with scale: killing one is condemned, many is glorified, all is divine.
In simple terms: Scale changes moral perception.
Key Takeaway
Question how scale influences ethics.
Themes
ethics
power
scale
Mood
provocative
philosophical
Type
ethical
inquisitive
When to use this quote
- war
- politics
- social movements
- historical events
Key Concepts
moral relativism
authority
deification
Questions to Reflect On
- Does killing many truly differ morally from killing one?
- What makes “god” a dangerous label?
A Different Perspective
Scale can mask underlying immorality.
