Doing good Quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
““But these are all golden dreams. Oh, tell me, who first announced, who was the first to proclaim that man does dirty only because he doesn't know his real interests; and that were he to be enlightened, were his eyes to be opened to his real, normal interests, man would immediately stop doing dirty, would immediately become good and noble, because being enlightened and understanding his real profit, he would see his real profit precisely in the good, and it's common knowledge that no man can act knowingly against his own profit, consequently, out of necessity, so to speak, he would start doing good?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1880
The passage argues that if people truly understood their genuine self‑interest, which aligns with moral good, they would naturally act virtuously without conflict.
In simple terms: Understanding true self‑interest leads to good actions.
Key Takeaway
Align actions with genuine self‑interest.
Themes
morality
self‑interest
human nature
knowledge
enlightenment
Mood
contemplative
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
ethical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- personal decision making
- business ethics
- public policy
- education reform
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- What truly constitutes “real profit” for a person?
- Can self‑interest ever conflict with collective good?
A Different Perspective
Assumes rationality and that self‑interest is always identifiable, ignoring irrational drives.
![“if [God] doesn't exist, man is the chief of the earth, of the universe. Magnificent! Only how is he going to be good without God?” quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/09b/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_ethics_if-god-doesn-t-exist-man-is-the-chief-of_16023.jpg)
