Nations Quote by John Foster Dulles
“The United Nations was not set up to be a reformatory. It was assumed that you would be good before you got in and not that being in would make you good”
About This Quote
Source Speech: UN Founding Principles, 1950
He argues the UN assumes inherent goodness, not that membership reforms individuals.
In simple terms: UN expects members to be good, not to make them good.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of institutions in shaping morality.
Themes
politics
international relations
ethics
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- diplomacy
- organizational reform
Key Concepts
institutional design
human nature
global governance
Questions to Reflect On
- Can institutions foster ethical growth?
- What reforms could align UN with reality?
A Different Perspective
Institutional change often requires internal moral development.
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