--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We get our ethics from our history and…" description: "\"We get our ethics from our history and judge our history by our ethics.\" — Ernst Troeltsch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/ernst-troeltsch-106362_ethics_we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-j_1708949.png" --- # We get our ethics from our history and judge our history… ![“We get our ethics from our history and judge our history by our ethics.” quote by Ernst Troeltsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/ernst-troeltsch-106362_ethics_we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-j_1708949.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/ernst-troeltsch-106362_ethics_we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-j_1708949.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/ernst-troeltsch-106362_ethics_we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-j_1708949.png) > “We get our ethics from our history and judge our history by our ethics.” Ernst Troeltsch ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our moral judgments are shaped by history, and we evaluate history through our ethical lenses, creating a reciprocal relationship. **In simple terms:** Ethics and history influence each other. Key Takeaway Reflect on how values shape your view of the past. Themes ethics history philosophy reflection Mood thoughtful serious Type Ethics:1 History:1 Inspirational:0 Judging:0 Love:0 Philosophy:1 History Judge:0 History Ethics:0 Ethics History:0 Judge History:0 When to use this quote - academic study - personal worldview - cultural analysis Key Concepts moral relativism historical interpretation Questions to Reflect On - How do your values affect your view of past events? - Can history reshape your ethics? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex historical narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [“We have been warned frequently about the dangers of science without ethics, but history without ethics poses a similar threat. Too often are events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/we-have-been-warned-frequently-about-the-dangers-of-science-without/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [History will not judge our endeavors--and a government cannot be selected--merely on the basis of color or creed or even party affiliation. Neither will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/history-will-not-judge-our-endeavors-and-a-government-cannot-be/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“The history of ethics is a sad tale of wonderful ideals that nobody can live up to. Most Christians did not imitate Christ, most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-history-of-ethics-is-a-sad-tale-of-wonderful-ideals-that-nobody/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Don't waste time defending your intentions. History will judge you by the outcomes of your actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savania-china/don-t-waste-time-defending-your-intentions-history-will-judge-you-by/) [Savania China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savania-china/) > [It's up to history to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pol-pot/it-s-up-to-history-to-judge/) [Pol Pot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pol-pot/) > [The decisions I made are done. And history will judge whether or not they were correct. There's no such thing as accurate short-term history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-decisions-i-made-are-done-and-history-will-judge-whether-or-not/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm very comfortable with where history will judge me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kulongoski/i-m-very-comfortable-with-where-history-will-judge-me/) [Ted Kulongoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kulongoski/) > [History will judge me... I shall remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mobutu-sese-seko/history-will-judge-me-i-shall-remain-silent/) [Mobutu Sese Seko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mobutu-sese-seko/) > [But history will judge you, and as the years pass, you will ultimately judge yourself, in the extent to which you have used your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/but-history-will-judge-you-and-as-the-years-pass-you-will-ultimately/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/history-will-judge-us-by-the-difference-we-make-in-the-everyday-lives/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [History has to judge every man who served. I don't know how they're going to treat me. I may be the worst S.O.B. that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/history-has-to-judge-every-man-who-served-i-don-t-know-how-they-re/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [All systems of morality are based on the idea that an action has consequences that legitimize or cancel it. A mind imbued with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/all-systems-of-morality-are-based-on-the-idea-that-an-action-has/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [A son is not a judge of his father, but the conscience of the father is in his son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-soloveychik/a-son-is-not-a-judge-of-his-father-but-the-conscience-of-the-father/) [Simon Soloveychik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-soloveychik/) > [Conscience warns us as a friend before it punishes us as a judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/conscience-warns-us-as-a-friend-before-it-punishes-us-as-a-judge/) [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/) > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) ## More by Ernst Troeltsch > [History within itself cannot be transcended. ... In history itself there are only relative victories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-troeltsch/history-within-itself-cannot-be-transcended-in-history-itself-there/) Ernst Troeltsch Explore all 2 Ernst Troeltsch quotes ## More Ethics quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) Rabelaise > [He who mistrusts most should be trusted least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theognis-of-megara/he-who-mistrusts-most-should-be-trusted-least/) [Theognis of Megara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theognis-of-megara/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [Ethics is the activity of man directed to secure the inner perfection of his own personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/ethics-is-the-activity-of-man-directed-to-secure-the-inner-perfection/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Records, radio, television, movies, magazines-all are monopolized by the money managers who are guided by one ethic, the words wealth and power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/records-radio-television-movies-magazines-all-are-monopolized-by-the/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [What our species needs, above all else, is a generally accepted ethical system that is compatible with the scientific knowledge we now possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-our-species-needs-above-all-else-is-a-generally-accepted-ethical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ethics is not definable, is not implementable, because it is not conscious; it involves not only our thinking, but also our feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valdemar-w-setzer/ethics-is-not-definable-is-not-implementable-because-it-is-not/) Valdemar W Setzer > [Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-hayes/any-time-you-give-a-man-something-he-doesn-t-earn-you-cheapen-him-our/) [Woody Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-hayes/) [Browse all 4,548 Ethics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We get our ethics from our history and judge our history by our ethics.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ernst Troeltsch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-troeltsch/we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-judge-our-history-by-our-ethics/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ethics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-troeltsch/we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-judge-our-history-by-our-ethics/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/ernst-troeltsch-106362_ethics_we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-j_1708949.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/ernst-troeltsch-106362_ethics_we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-j_1708949.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/289/ernst-troeltsch-106362_ethics_we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-j_1708949.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We get our ethics from our history and judge our history by our ethics.” — Ernst Troeltsch", "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": "Ernst Troeltsch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-troeltsch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We get our ethics from our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-troeltsch/we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-judge-our-history-by-our-ethics/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-troeltsch/we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-judge-our-history-by-our-ethics/#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 } } ] } ```