Architecture Quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
““Tell me yourself directly, I challenge you – reply: imagine that you yourself are erecting the edifice of human fortune with the goal of, at the finale, making people happy, of at last giving them peace and quiet, but that in order to do it would be necessary and unavoidable to torture to death only one little creature, that same little child that beat its little fist, and on its unavenged tears to found that edifice, would you agree to be the architect on those conditions, tell me and tell me truly?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Crime and Punishment (1866)
A moral dilemma: building a better world at the cost of an innocent child's suffering.
In simple terms: Choosing happiness for many versus harming one child.
Key Takeaway
Consider the ethics of sacrificing one for many.
Themes
ethics
philosophy
humanity
Mood
conflicted
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- political leadership
- scientific research
- war decisions
Key Concepts
utilitarianism
moral sacrifice
Questions to Reflect On
- Is it ever justified to harm an innocent for a greater good?
- What alternatives exist?
A Different Perspective
The scenario is extreme and may oversimplify complex moral calculus.
![“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)
