Character Quote by L Neil Smith
“Such attributes as virtue or intelligence aren't additive. It's absurd to maintain that two evil people can somehow be more virtuous than one decent person, or that two stupid people are brighter than one intelligent person. Why, then, does your culture assume that two people possess more rights than one?”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Probability Broach by L. Neil Smith, 1970
Virtue and intelligence are not additive; combining flawed individuals does not create a superior whole.
In simple terms: Bad people together aren’t better than a good person alone.
Key Takeaway
Don’t assume more people equal more rights or merit.
Themes
ethics
individualism
rights
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- political debate
- legal theory
- ethical education
Key Concepts
non‑additivity
moral philosophy
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- Can moral value be summed across individuals?
- Do rights depend on number of people?
A Different Perspective
Assumes moral worth can be quantified, which is contested.
![“If a man of good natural disposition acquires Intelligence [as a whole], then he excels in conduct, and the disposition which previously only resembled Virtue, will now be Virtue in the true sense. Hence just as with the faculty of forming opinions [the calculative faculty] there are two…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/89e/aristotle-78_acquire_if-a-man-of-good-natural-disposition-acq_342320.jpg)
