Action Quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero
“Since an intelligence common to us all makes things known to us and formulates them in our minds, honorable actions are ascribed by us to virtue, and dishonorable actions to vice; and only a madman would conclude that these judgments are matters of opinion, and not fixed by nature.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: On Moral Duties, Cicero, 44 BC
Human nature provides an objective basis for moral judgments, separating virtue from vice, regardless of personal opinion.
In simple terms: Nature defines right and wrong, not opinion.
Key Takeaway
Recognize universal moral standards.
Themes
ethics
philosophy
human nature
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- legal judgments
- personal decisions
- education
- conflict resolution
- public policy
Key Concepts
natural law
virtue ethics
objective morality
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you believe morality is universal?
- How do you handle differing moral views?
A Different Perspective
Cultural relativism challenges the idea of fixed moral truths.
![“Things sacred should not only be touched with the hands, but unviolated in thought. [Lat., Res sacros non modo manibus attingi, sed ne cogitatione quidem violari fas fuit.]” quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/deb/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_hands_things-sacred-should-not-only-be-touched_11960.jpg)
