--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Virtue and vice suppose the freedom to…" description: "\"Virtue and vice suppose the freedom to choose between good and evil; but what can be the morals of a woman who is not even in possession of herself, wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/flora-tristan-61923_arbitrary_virtue-and-vice-suppose-the-freedom-to-c_1861461.jpg" --- # Virtue and vice suppose the freedom to choose between good… ![“Virtue and vice suppose the freedom to choose between good and evil; but what can be the morals of a woman who is not even in possession of herself, who has nothing of her own, and who all her life has been trained to extricate herself from the arbitrary by ruse, from constraint by using her…” quote by Flora Tristan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/flora-tristan-61923_arbitrary_virtue-and-vice-suppose-the-freedom-to-c_1861461.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/flora-tristan-61923_arbitrary_virtue-and-vice-suppose-the-freedom-to-c_1861461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/flora-tristan-61923_arbitrary_virtue-and-vice-suppose-the-freedom-to-c_1861461.jpg) > “Virtue and vice suppose the freedom to choose between good and evil; but what can be the morals of a woman who is not even in possession of herself, who has nothing of her own, and who all her life has been trained to extricate herself from the arbitrary by ruse, from constraint by using her charms?... As long as she is subject to man's yoke or to prejudice, as long as she receives no professional education, as long as she is deprived of her civil rights, there can be no moral law for her!” [Flora Tristan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-tristan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women denied autonomy and education cannot develop a personal moral framework; oppression prevents moral agency. **In simple terms:** Lack of freedom blocks moral development. Key Takeaway Empower women through education and rights. Themes women rights morality oppression education Mood determined hopeful Type advocacy philosophical When to use this quote - legal reform - education access - women’s health - political activism Key Concepts autonomy ethical agency social justice Questions to Reflect On - What steps can restore agency? - How does education shape morality? A Different Perspective Moral law presupposes agency, which may be absent under severe oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arbitrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbitrary/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Charm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charm/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Constraints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constraints/) [Deprived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deprived/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-morals-2508602/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom to choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-to-choose/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-law/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals/) [Morals Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals-woman-748191/) [Possession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possession/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-moral-751943/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Yoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yoke/) ## Related quotes > [Money is not good or evil. 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Kankanala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalyan-c-kankanala/) > [Human beings have rights, because they are moral beings: the rights of all men grow out of their moral nature; and as all men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-grimke/human-beings-have-rights-because-they-are-moral-beings-the-rights-of/) [Angelina Grimke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-grimke/) > [Remember that rights are moral principles which define and protect a man's freedom of action, but impose no obligations on other men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/remember-that-rights-are-moral-principles-which-define-and-protect-a/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Your capacity to say "No" determines your capacity to say "Yes" to greater things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-stanley-jones/your-capacity-to-say-no-determines-your-capacity-to-say-yes-to/) [E. 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I believe there is a way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-giles/i-say-this-because-all-religions-accurately-understood-will-take-away/) [Kimberly Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-giles/) > [Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/having-the-freedom-to-read-and-the-freedom-to-choose-is-one-of-the/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [With a basic understanding of all humans as brothers and sisters, we can appreciate the usefulness of different systems and ideologies that can accommodate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/with-a-basic-understanding-of-all-humans-as-brothers-and-sisters-we/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Man's last freedom is his freedom to choose how he will react in any given situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/man-s-last-freedom-is-his-freedom-to-choose-how-he-will-react-in-any/) [Viktor E. 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Physical and emotional differences, parental guidance, varying environments, being in the right place at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-do-not-believe-we-are-all-created-equal-physical-and-emotional/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Flora Tristan > [The Woman is the Proletarian of the Proletariat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-tristan/the-woman-is-the-proletarian-of-the-proletariat/) [Flora Tristan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-tristan/) > [With my union project in my hand, from town to town, from one end of France to the other, to talk to the workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-tristan/with-my-union-project-in-my-hand-from-town-to-town-from-one-end-of/) [Flora Tristan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-tristan/) > [What a revolting contrast exists in England between the slavery of women and the intellectual superiority of women writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-tristan/what-a-revolting-contrast-exists-in-england-between-the-slavery-of/) [Flora Tristan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-tristan/) > [Prostitution is the most hideous of the afflictions produced by the unequal distribution of the world's goods; this infamy stigmatizes the human species and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-tristan/prostitution-is-the-most-hideous-of-the-afflictions-produced-by-the/) [Flora Tristan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-tristan/) [Explore all 5 Flora Tristan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-tristan/) ## More Arbitrary quotes > [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. 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