Philosophy Quote by Deirdre N. McCloskey
““That businesspeople buy low and sell high in a particularly alert and advantageous way does not make them bad unless all trading is bad, unless when you yourself shop prudently you are bad, unless any tall poppy needs to be cut down, unless we wish to run our ethical lives on the sin of envy.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Economic Worldview, 1990
The quote argues that profit‑seeking behavior isn’t inherently immoral; only when all exchange is condemned does it become ethically problematic, and it warns against envy‑driven judgments.
In simple terms: Making profit isn’t automatically bad; context matters.
Key Takeaway
Judge actions, not outcomes.
Themes
ethics
economics
envy
social judgment
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- investment decisions
- personal budgeting
- policy debates
- ethical education
Key Concepts
moral relativism
market dynamics
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Is all trade beneficial?
- How does envy shape our moral judgments?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook systemic harms caused by unchecked profit motives.
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
