Evil Quote by Jean de la Bruyere
“The State not seldom tolerates a comparatively great evil to keep out millions of lesser ills and inconveniences which otherwise would be inevitable and without remedy.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Moral Reflections, 1688
Societies often accept a major wrongdoing to avoid many smaller problems, believing it’s the lesser evil.
In simple terms: Big evils are tolerated to prevent many small issues.
Key Takeaway
Weigh trade‑offs carefully.
Themes
ethics
politics
pragmatism
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- public health decisions
- legal reforms
Key Concepts
utilitarianism
moral compromise
Questions to Reflect On
- Is the lesser evil truly less harmful?
- When does compromise become corruption?
A Different Perspective
Accepting a great evil may erode moral standards over time.
![“The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. [Fr., La cour est comme un edifice bati de marbre; je veux dire qu'elle est composee d'hommes fort durs mais fort polis.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fcf/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_built_the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marb_77288.jpg)
![“Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to [be] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is in play. Society has no obligation to try to rehabilitate evil.” quote by Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b89/bill-o-reilly-1019_destroyed_evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be_3597.jpg)
