--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a…" description: "\"I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a thick textbook, heard the class discussions and came out of it saying I hadn't learned a thing I didn't know b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/carl-sandburg-952_character_i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a_2010508.png" --- # I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a thick textbook… ![“I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a thick textbook, heard the class discussions and came out of it saying I hadn't learned a thing I didn't know before about morals and what is right or wrong in human conduct.” quote by Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/carl-sandburg-952_character_i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a_2010508.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/carl-sandburg-952_character_i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a_2010508.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/carl-sandburg-952_character_i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a_2010508.png) > “I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a thick textbook, heard the class discussions and came out of it saying I hadn't learned a thing I didn't know before about morals and what is right or wrong in human conduct.” [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Formal study may not translate into practical moral insight without reflection. **In simple terms:** Learning theory isn’t enough. Key Takeaway Reflect on ethics beyond textbooks. Themes ethics education reflection Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - law practice - teaching - personal decisions Key Concepts moral philosophy critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply ethical theory to daily choices? - What experiences deepen moral understanding? A Different Perspective Practical experience is also essential for moral growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Course Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/course-ethics-1493881/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Ethics Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics-read-3587600/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Know Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-morals-1338537/) [Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals/) [Right or wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-or-wrong/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Textbook Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/textbook-heard-3587601/) [Thick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thick/) ## Related quotes > [Computer programmers, biotechnologists, environmental scientists, neuroscientists, nanotech engineers - all of these fields, and more, should have at least a course in ethics as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/computer-programmers-biotechnologists-environmental-scientists/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [It's my opinion that every one I know has morals, though I wouldn't like to ask. I know I have. But I'd rather teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-my-opinion-that-every-one-i-know-has-morals-though-i-wouldn-t/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The organs in our body are not aware who is popular and who's not. They can stop working in any body, they also don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-grover/the-organs-in-our-body-are-not-aware-who-is-popular-and-who-s-not/) [Sunil Grover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-grover/) > [“Do you know what morals are, Violet? They’re other people’s rules. Do you know what a conscience is? Freedom to use your own intelligence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/do-you-know-what-morals-are-violet-they-re-other-people-s-rules-do/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [I'm not trying to be something I'm not. I know what I believe in. I know my morals and I know what I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-hale/i-m-not-trying-to-be-something-i-m-not-i-know-what-i-believe-in-i/) [Lucy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-hale/) > [We get our morals from books. I didn't get mine from books, but I know that morals do come from books- theoretically at least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/we-get-our-morals-from-books-i-didn-t-get-mine-from-books-but-i-know/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Do you know what morals are? Morals are an obedience to rules that people laid down to help you live among them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/do-you-know-what-morals-are-morals-are-an-obedience-to-rules-that/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I think I'm more grounded, you know, and I know what I want out of life and I'm, you know, my morals are really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britney-spears/i-think-i-m-more-grounded-you-know-and-i-know-what-i-want-out-of-life/) [Britney Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britney-spears/) > [You see these thick curtains shut out the daylight: artificial light suits me a great deal better; it's absolutely steady, and much more exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/you-see-these-thick-curtains-shut-out-the-daylight-artificial-light/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The advantage of doing one's praising for oneself is that one can lay it on so thick and exactly in the right places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-advantage-of-doing-one-s-praising-for-oneself-is-that-one-can-lay/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [My heart is like a singing bird Whose nest is in a water'd shoot; My heart is like an apple-tree Whose boughs are bent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-rossetti/my-heart-is-like-a-singing-bird-whose-nest-is-in-a-water-d-shoot-my/) [Christina Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-rossetti/) > [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) ## More by Carl Sandburg > [Arithmetic is numbers you squeeze from your head to your hand to your pencil to your paper till you get the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/arithmetic-is-numbers-you-squeeze-from-your-head-to-your-hand-to-your/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Gather the stars if you wish it so Gather the songs and keep them. Gather the faces of women. Gather for keeping years and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/gather-the-stars-if-you-wish-it-so-gather-the-songs-and-keep-them/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of wisdom, if you listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/back-of-every-mistaken-venture-and-defeat-is-the-laughter-of-wisdom/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Somebody's little girl- how easy it is to make a sob story over who she once was and who she now is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/somebody-s-little-girl-how-easy-it-is-to-make-a-sob-story-over-who/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Let your heart look on white sea spray and be lonely. Love is a fool star. You and a ring of stars may mention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/let-your-heart-look-on-white-sea-spray-and-be-lonely-love-is-a-fool/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Two bubbles found they had rainbows on their curves. They flickered out saying: "It was worth being a bubble, just to have held that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/two-bubbles-found-they-had-rainbows-on-their-curves-they-flickered/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Poetry is a series of explanations of life, fading off into horizons too swift for explanations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-a-series-of-explanations-of-life-fading-off-into-horizons/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [There are ten men in me and I do not know or understand one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-are-ten-men-in-me-and-i-do-not-know-or-understand-one-of-them/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [The drum in a dream pounds loud to the dreamer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/the-drum-in-a-dream-pounds-loud-to-the-dreamer/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/time-is-the-most-valuable-coin-in-your-life-you-and-you-alone-will/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-the-opening-and-closing-of-a-door-leaving-those-who-look/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [a women is like a tea bag.it's only when she is in hot water that you realize how strong she is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/a-women-is-like-a-tea-bag-it-s-only-when-she-is-in-hot-water-that-you/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/my-name-is-truth-and-i-am-the-most-elusive-captive-in-the-universe/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [I won't take my religion from any man who never works except with his mouth and never cherishes any memory except the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-won-t-take-my-religion-from-any-man-who-never-works-except-with-his/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Rest is not a word of free people. Rest is a monarchical word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/rest-is-not-a-word-of-free-people-rest-is-a-monarchical-word/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) [Explore all 320 Carl Sandburg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a thick textbook, heard the class discussions and came out of it saying I hadn't learned a thing I didn't know before about morals and what is right or wrong in human conduct.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Sandburg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a-thick-textbook-heard-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a-thick-textbook-heard-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/carl-sandburg-952_character_i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a_2010508.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/carl-sandburg-952_character_i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a_2010508.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/carl-sandburg-952_character_i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a_2010508.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a thick textbook, heard the class discussions and came out of it…” — Carl Sandburg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carl Sandburg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had taken a course in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a-thick-textbook-heard-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-had-taken-a-course-in-ethics-i-read-a-thick-textbook-heard-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```