Character Quote by C.E. Morgan
““ Father, we are uniquely capable of morality. We must be moral, because we can be moral. He stood very still as the words settled like silt to the floor of his veins. We can snatch from the air the abstractness of numbers, adding and subtracting and making logic from magic, and because we can, we do, and we must. We can build pyramids and sky-piercing towers, so we must. We can wrestle language from our grunting, so we must. We can map our physical mysteries with machines of our own making. We can classify the species of the earth, name every stone and streamlet. We can run a hundred miles, and we can walk on the face of the moon, so we must—and then we must go farther. We can, from the chaos of existence, extract meanings, which do not exist. We can make ourselves philosophers and scientists and priests. We can construct our unnatural civilizations—we can, and therefore we must. To starve our genes is to honor our genes. With fear and loathing we can stand on the necks of our parents and refuse them. We can evolve from simple to complex. We can choose survival of the species over survival of the self. We can say no to nature and form a conspiracy of doves. We are uniquely capable of morality, therefore we must be moral. That is our nature.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Unknown, philosophical monologue, date unknown
The speaker argues that humanity's unique capacity for morality obliges us to act morally and to continually push the boundaries of knowledge and achievement.
In simple terms: Humans can do many things, so we must be moral and keep advancing.
Embrace moral responsibility while pursuing progress.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- education reform
- scientific research
- space exploration
- environmental stewardship
- cultural development
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to be moral in a complex world?
- How can we balance ambition with ethical limits?
Moral duty may conflict with personal interests or societal constraints.