Human beings Quote by Marquis de Sade
“Now I beg of you to tell me whether I must love a human being simply because he exists or resembles me and whether for those reasons alone I must suddenly prefer him to myself?”
About This Quote
Source Dialogue: The 120 Days of Sodom, 1785
The speaker questions if love should be based solely on existence or similarity, challenging moral assumptions about self‑interest and altruism.
In simple terms: Is love justified just because someone exists or looks like us?
Key Takeaway
Consider love beyond mere similarity.
Themes
ethics
human nature
self‑interest
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- social policy
- ethical debates
- self‑reflection
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
moral relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria should guide love?
- Can love be impartial?
A Different Perspective
Love may also require empathy, not just resemblance.
![“The law which attempts a man's life [capital punishment] is impractical, unjust, inadmissible. It has never repressed crime--for a second crime is every day committed at the foot of the scaffold.” quote by Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b85/marquis-de-sade-1964_capital-punishment_the-law-which-attempts-a-man-s-life-capi_99486.jpg)
