Art Quote by John Fraser
““There is a common tendency to turn off one's imagination at certain points and refuse to contemplate the possibility of having to do certain things and cope with the attendant moral problems. The things simply get done by the social machine, and one can keep one's clear conscience and one's moral indignation unsullied.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on moral disengagement, 2015
People often suppress imagination to avoid confronting moral dilemmas, letting institutions handle uncomfortable tasks while preserving personal conscience.
In simple terms: Avoiding moral imagination lets societies shift responsibility to systems.
Key Takeaway
Questionly confront moral implications of routine actions.
Themes
morality
responsibility
social systems
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Workplace decisions
- public policy
- personal habits
- community projects
Key Concepts
Moral disengagement
conscience
institutional ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize when you’re outsourcing moral judgment?
- What systems reinforce moral disengagement?
A Different Perspective
Ignoring moral imagination can lead to ethical blind spots.
