--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Populous cities are destroyed by…" description: "\"“Populous cities are destroyed by earthquakes, and desolated by pestilence. Ambition is every where devoting its millions to incalculable calamity. Sup..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/christopher-hitchens-117_evil_populous-cities-are-destroyed-by-earthqu_3103733.jpg" --- # Populous cities are destroyed by earthquakes, and… ![“Populous cities are destroyed by earthquakes, and desolated by pestilence. Ambition is every where devoting its millions to incalculable calamity. Superstition, in a thousand shapes, is employed in brutalizing and degrading the human species, and fitting it to endure without a murmur the…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/christopher-hitchens-117_evil_populous-cities-are-destroyed-by-earthqu_3103733.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/christopher-hitchens-117_evil_populous-cities-are-destroyed-by-earthqu_3103733.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/christopher-hitchens-117_evil_populous-cities-are-destroyed-by-earthqu_3103733.jpg) > ““Populous cities are destroyed by earthquakes, and desolated by pestilence. Ambition is every where devoting its millions to incalculable calamity. Superstition, in a thousand shapes, is employed in brutalizing and degrading the human species, and fitting it to endure without a murmur the oppression of its innumerable tyrants. All this is abstractedly neither good nor evil because good and evil are words employed to designate that peculiar state of our own perceptions, resulting from the encounter of any object calculated to produce pleasure or pain. Exclude the idea of relation, and the words good and evil are deprived of import.”” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human constructs of good and evil are subjective, arising from personal perception of pleasure and pain, not intrinsic truths. **In simple terms:** Good and evil are based on how we feel about experiences. Key Takeaway Recognize that moral judgments are personal perceptions. Themes philosophy ethics perception subjectivity human nature Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - debates on morality - personal decision making - conflict resolution - cultural analysis - ethical education Key Concepts Moral relativism subjective experience psychology of judgment Questions to Reflect On - How do personal experiences shape your sense of right and wrong? - Can societies find common ground despite subjective morals? A Different Perspective The view may overlook universal moral intuitions that guide societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Superstition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstition/) ## Related quotes > [“Well, as Hannah Arendt famously said, there can be a banal aspect to evil. In other words, it doesn't present always. I mean, often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/well-as-hannah-arendt-famously-said-there-can-be-a-banal-aspect-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It is no little wisdom for you to keep yourself in silence and in good peace when evil words are spoken to you, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/it-is-no-little-wisdom-for-you-to-keep-yourself-in-silence-and-in/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [The prophet shows that, for the sake of silence, we are to abstain even from good talk. If this be so, how much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-prophet-shows-that-for-the-sake-of-silence-we-are-to-abstain-even/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A club hurts the flesh, but evil words hurt the bone. -Traditional Chinese Proverb”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-polly/a-club-hurts-the-flesh-but-evil-words-hurt-the-bone-traditional/) [Matthew Polly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-polly/) > [This I regard as history's highest function, to let no worthy action be uncommemorated, and to hold out the reprobation of posterity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/this-i-regard-as-history-s-highest-function-to-let-no-worthy-action/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/by-swallowing-evil-words-unsaid-no-one-has-ever-harmed-his-stomach/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“It was sometimes feebly argued, as the political and military war against this enemy ran into difficulties, that it was 'a war without end.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-was-sometimes-feebly-argued-as-the-political-and-military-war/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“only while under the dominion of fear do men fall a prey to superstition; that all the portents ever invested with the reverence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/only-while-under-the-dominion-of-fear-do-men-fall-a-prey-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“The origin of superstition above given affords us a clear reason for the fact, that it comes to all men naturally, though some refer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-origin-of-superstition-above-given-affords-us-a-clear-reason-for/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The beauty of science hugely outranks the charms of superstition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-beauty-of-science-hugely-outranks-the-charms-of-superstition/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“And how easy it is to recognize the revenant shapes that the old unchanging enemies—racism, leader worship, superstition—assume when they reappear amongst us (often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/and-how-easy-it-is-to-recognize-the-revenant-shapes-that-the-old/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“British diplomats and Anglo-American types in Washington have a near-superstitious prohibition on uttering the words 'Special Relationship' to describe relations between Britain and America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/british-diplomats-and-anglo-american-types-in-washington-have-a-near/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Think (he used to say) of a being who would make a Hell—who would create the human race with the infallible foreknowledge, and therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/think-he-used-to-say-of-a-being-who-would-make-a-hell-who-would/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Populous cities are destroyed by earthquakes, and desolated by pestilence. Ambition is every where devoting its millions to incalculable calamity. Superstition, in a thousand shapes, is employed in brutalizing and degrading the human species, and fitting it to endure without a murmur the oppression of its innumerable tyrants. 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