--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our world hinges on moral foundations…" description: "\"Our world hinges on moral foundations. God has made it so. God has made the universe to be based on a moral law. So long as man disobeys it he is revol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_character_our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-go_1304951.png" --- # Our world hinges on moral foundations. God has made it so… ![“Our world hinges on moral foundations. God has made it so. God has made the universe to be based on a moral law. So long as man disobeys it he is revolting against God. That's what we need in the world today: people who will stand for right and goodness.” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_character_our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-go_1304951.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_character_our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-go_1304951.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_character_our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-go_1304951.png) > “Our world hinges on moral foundations. God has made it so. God has made the universe to be based on a moral law. So long as man disobeys it he is revolting against God. That's what we need in the world today: people who will stand for right and goodness.” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society depends on divine moral law; disobedience is rebellion against God, urging people to uphold righteousness. **In simple terms:** Moral law is divine; obey it. Key Takeaway Stand for right and goodness. Themes ethics faith social justice Mood hopeful determined Type social philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - community building - education - policy making - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts theology law human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can diverse beliefs find common moral ground? - What actions embody goodness today? A Different Perspective Interpretations of moral law vary across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Inspiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiring/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-law/) [Our world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-world/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-today/) ## Related quotes > [The first principle of value that we need to rediscover is this: that all reality hinges on moral foundations. In other words, that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-first-principle-of-value-that-we-need-to-rediscover-is-this-that-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [History has taught us that freedom cannot long survive unless it is based on moral foundations. You can get the economics right, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/history-has-taught-us-that-freedom-cannot-long-survive-unless-it-is/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I learned that public service is a privilege that must be based on moral foundations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-learned-that-public-service-is-a-privilege-that-must-be-based-on/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover these precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-we-are-to-go-forward-we-must-go-back-and-rediscover-these-precious/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The first principle of value that we need to rediscover is this: that all reality hinges on moral foundations. In other words, that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-first-principle-of-value-that-we-need-to-rediscover-is-this-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I think, with Obama and the progressives, you've seen a massive expansion of big government, and it's all based on a moral premise. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/i-think-with-obama-and-the-progressives-you-ve-seen-a-massive/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [“If there is to be peace on earth and good will toward men, we must finally believe in the ultimate morality of the universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king/if-there-is-to-be-peace-on-earth-and-good-will-toward-men-we-must/) [Martin Luther King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king/) > [“If a society has no moral foundations then success is a threat. Every successful person thinks everyone else is a failure, and this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wasif-ali-wasif/if-a-society-has-no-moral-foundations-then-success-is-a-threat-every/) [Wasif Ali Wasif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wasif-ali-wasif/) > [You are right in speaking of the moral foundations of science, but you cannot turn around and speak of the scientific foundations of morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/you-are-right-in-speaking-of-the-moral-foundations-of-science-but-you/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There is something in this universe that justifies the biblical writer in saying, "You shall reap what you sow." This is a law-abiding universe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-is-something-in-this-universe-that-justifies-the-biblical/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-just-law-is-a-man-made-code-that-squares-with-the-moral-law-or-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There are two types of laws: there are just laws and there are unjust laws... What is the difference between the two?...An unjust law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-are-two-types-of-laws-there-are-just-laws-and-there-are-unjust/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was seen sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/of-course-there-is-nothing-new-about-this-kind-of-civil-disobedience/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Music is part of God's universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/music-is-part-of-god-s-universe/) [Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/) > [“You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe, because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue or church. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taken-from-the-forty-rules-of-love-by-elif-shafak/you-can-study-god-through-everything-and-everyone-in-the-universe/) [Taken from The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taken-from-the-forty-rules-of-love-by-elif-shafak/) ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I’ve been to the Mountaintop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-ve-been-to-the-mountaintop/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-supreme-task-is-to-organize-and-unite-people-so-that-their-anger/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our world hinges on moral foundations. God has made it so. God has made the universe to be based on a moral law. So long as man disobeys it he is revolting against God. That's what we need in the world today: people who will stand for right and goodness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-god-has-made-it-so-god-has-made/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-god-has-made-it-so-god-has-made/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_character_our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-go_1304951.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_character_our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-go_1304951.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/martin-luther-king-jr-127_character_our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-go_1304951.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our world hinges on moral foundations. God has made it so. God has made the universe to be based on a moral…” — Martin Luther King, Jr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our world hinges on moral foundations....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-god-has-made-it-so-god-has-made/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-world-hinges-on-moral-foundations-god-has-made-it-so-god-has-made/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```