---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is it morally acceptable to murder one…"
description: "\"“Is it morally acceptable to murder one hundred innocent people in the process of catching a serial killer who has murdered ten people? If you think Wo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/michel-templet-11969_innocent-people_is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-h_1030444.jpg"
---

#  Is it morally acceptable to murder one hundred innocent…

![“Is it morally acceptable to murder one hundred innocent people in the process of catching a serial killer who has murdered ten people? If you think World War II was justified, your answer should be yes.” quote by Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/michel-templet-11969_innocent-people_is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-h_1030444.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/michel-templet-11969_innocent-people_is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-h_1030444.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/michel-templet-11969_innocent-people_is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-h_1030444.jpg)

> ““Is it morally acceptable to murder one hundred innocent people in the process of catching a serial killer who has murdered ten people? If you think World War II was justified, your answer should be yes.””

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A moral dilemma questioning whether killing many innocents can be justified to stop a murderer, invoking wartime ethics.

**In simple terms:** Is it okay to kill many to stop a few?

Key Takeaway

Consider the value of each life.

Themes

ethics justice war utilitarianism

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

ethical philosophical

When to use this quote

- legal debates
- military decisions
- police tactics
- philosophical discussions

Key Concepts

moral philosophy consequentialism human rights

Questions to Reflect On

- Can ends be saved without mass killing?
- What principles guide such decisions?

A Different Perspective

The scenario oversimplifies complex ethical trade‑offs and may ignore alternatives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acceptable Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptable-murder-2350291/) [Innocent people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent-people/) [Just war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-war/) [Justified Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justified-answer-2350292/) [Morally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morally/) [Morally Acceptable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morally-acceptable-1438639/) [Murder Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder-innocent-1112576/) [Pacifism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacifism/) [Serial killer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serial-killer/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/)

## Related quotes

> [“I find it significant that most of the people who believe in just war have never fought in one; examples: Barack W. Bush and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/i-find-it-significant-that-most-of-the-people-who-believe-in-just-war/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“There is no such thing as a "just" war. It's just war. And it's antithetical to the Gospel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-flowers/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-just-war-it-s-just-war-and-it-s/)

[David D. Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-flowers/)

> [Whatever it takes to stop someone from abusing animals is certainly morally acceptable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-vlasak/whatever-it-takes-to-stop-someone-from-abusing-animals-is-certainly/)

[Jerry Vlasak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-vlasak/)

> [We must abandon the unworkable notion that it is morally reprehensible for some countries to pursue weapons of mass destruction, yet morally acceptable for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/we-must-abandon-the-unworkable-notion-that-it-is-morally/)

[Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/)

> [“A Gallup poll of Muslims in the UK found that not a single Muslim in the 1,001 people polled thought that homosexuality was morally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/a-gallup-poll-of-muslims-in-the-uk-found-that-not-a-single-muslim-in/)

[Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/)

> [“On 11 September 2001, a bunch of Saudis killed almost 3000 US civilians, which led to the construction of a monument in New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/on-11-september-2001-a-bunch-of-saudis-killed-almost-3000-us/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Having been to war myself, I do not understand why so many people are so in love with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/having-been-to-war-myself-i-do-not-understand-why-so-many-people-are/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [What could ever be a sufficient reason for excusing in any way the direct murder of the innocent? This is precisely what we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-xi/what-could-ever-be-a-sufficient-reason-for-excusing-in-any-way-the/)

[Pope Pius XI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-xi/)

> [“The very thought that war can ever be justified, let alone desirable or even noble, is quite honestly the greatest deception that mankind has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/the-very-thought-that-war-can-ever-be-justified-let-alone-desirable/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Why is it acceptable to do such horrible things in the name of staying alive? Would it not have been better had I died…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/why-is-it-acceptable-to-do-such-horrible-things-in-the-name-of/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“The idea that war can ever bring freedom is quite possibly the greatest deception that mankind has ever forced upon himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/the-idea-that-war-can-ever-bring-freedom-is-quite-possibly-the/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“If I went on a killing spree that left thousands of people dead, I'd be branded as the worst kind of criminal. So why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/if-i-went-on-a-killing-spree-that-left-thousands-of-people-dead-i-d/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“I find it significant that most military veterans become pacifists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/i-find-it-significant-that-most-military-veterans-become-pacifists/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“I absolutely hate the way the United States glorifies its military and its wars. Real heroes fight for peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/i-absolutely-hate-the-way-the-united-states-glorifies-its-military/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“When you get right down to it, militaries are essentially legalized mafias.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/when-you-get-right-down-to-it-militaries-are-essentially-legalized/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

## More by Michel Templet

> [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“To speak only one language is to do yourself a great injustice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/to-speak-only-one-language-is-to-do-yourself-a-great-injustice/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“There is no such thing as a victimless crime, and people should be allowed to do as they please with their own bodies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-victimless-crime-and-people-should-be/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Presidents are not elected anymore; they are hired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/presidents-are-not-elected-anymore-they-are-hired/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“We have a problem when the same people who make the law get to decide whether or not they themselves have broken the law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/we-have-a-problem-when-the-same-people-who-make-the-law-get-to-decide/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“I find it significant that most military veterans become pacifists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/i-find-it-significant-that-most-military-veterans-become-pacifists/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“We live in a nation where education and free thought are tantamount to treason, and I have to ask, under these circumstances, is treason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/we-live-in-a-nation-where-education-and-free-thought-are-tantamount/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Patriotism is racism for the modern era.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/patriotism-is-racism-for-the-modern-era/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Obama's plan for "change": Let's do everything Bush did, only with more suck! Because it just didn't suck badly enough the first time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/obama-s-plan-for-change-let-s-do-everything-bush-did-only-with-more/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Always remember, if you have been diagnosed with PTSD, it is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is proof of your strength, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/always-remember-if-you-have-been-diagnosed-with-ptsd-it-is-not-a-sign/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Why am I a socialist? Simple: Because I believe in freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/why-am-i-a-socialist-simple-because-i-believe-in-freedom/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“On 11 September 2001, a bunch of Saudis killed almost 3000 US civilians, which led to the construction of a monument in New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/on-11-september-2001-a-bunch-of-saudis-killed-almost-3000-us/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Barack Obama is an even worse president than George W. Bush, because an evil bastard who knows what he's doing is far more dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/barack-obama-is-an-even-worse-president-than-george-w-bush-because-an/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Presenting a rational argument to a person who has forsaken the use of reason is like asking a vegetarian to eat a cheeseburger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/presenting-a-rational-argument-to-a-person-who-has-forsaken-the-use/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“I absolutely hate the way the United States glorifies its military and its wars. Real heroes fight for peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/i-absolutely-hate-the-way-the-united-states-glorifies-its-military/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

[Explore all 57 Michel Templet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

## More Innocent people quotes

> [“Miss Ellis?" Mrs. Perterson says. "It's your turn. Introduce Alex to the class" "This is Alejandro Fuentes. When he wasn't hanging out on street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/miss-ellis-mrs-perterson-says-it-s-your-turn-introduce-alex-to-the/)

[Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/)

> [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [“Innocent? Is that supposed to be funny? An obese man... a disgusting man who could barely stand up; a man who if you saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-doe/innocent-is-that-supposed-to-be-funny-an-obese-man-a-disgusting-man/)

[John Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-doe/)

> [There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/there-is-no-flag-large-enough-to-cover-the-shame-of-killing-innocent/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [We're not going to cure terrorism and spread peace and goodwill in the Middle East by killing innocent people, or I'm not even saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-re-not-going-to-cure-terrorism-and-spread-peace-and-goodwill-in/)

[Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/)

> [I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A student or anything. Even so, I figured out how to make an Internet that they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-m-17-years-old-i-m-not-a-straight-a-student-or-anything-even-so-i/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [You bomb ISIL. You're not trying to bomb innocent people. And that requires intelligence and confidence in our military to be able to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-bomb-isil-you-re-not-trying-to-bomb-innocent-people-and-that/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [We did a campaign here with New York Times. We had a great ad: "Today in America, someone will kill an elephant for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/we-did-a-campaign-here-with-new-york-times-we-had-a-great-ad-today-in/)

[Patrick Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bergin/)

> [My goal is to maintain the international norm on banning chemical weapons. I want that enforcement to be real. I want it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/my-goal-is-to-maintain-the-international-norm-on-banning-chemical/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [As Muslims it is our duty to condemn the killings and our duty to ensure that those on the fringe do not shame our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iqbal-sacranie/as-muslims-it-is-our-duty-to-condemn-the-killings-and-our-duty-to/)

[Iqbal Sacranie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iqbal-sacranie/)

> [“All scientific effort must now be concentrated in the area of defence (sic). We have learned our lesson. We, the most civilized of people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/all-scientific-effort-must-now-be-concentrated-in-the-area-of-defence/)

[Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/)

> [If Martin Luther King looked at the Obama administration and saw an intimate connection with Wall Street, he'd be very critical. If he saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/if-martin-luther-king-looked-at-the-obama-administration-and-saw-an/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [How could believers, people who regard themselves as true Muslims, get on those planes, quoting the words of God delivered through the Prophet to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/how-could-believers-people-who-regard-themselves-as-true-muslims-get/)

[Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/)

> [When someone like myself points out the rather obvious and compelling evidence that God is cruel and unjust, because he visits suffering on innocent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/when-someone-like-myself-points-out-the-rather-obvious-and-compelling/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [However, after the assassination of Salman Taseer, the killer of Salman Taseer was welcomed by the religious fanatics. And they showered rose petals on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahbaz-bhatti/however-after-the-assassination-of-salman-taseer-the-killer-of-salman/)

[Shahbaz Bhatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahbaz-bhatti/)

[Browse all 315 Innocent people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent-people/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Is it morally acceptable to murder one hundred innocent people in the process of catching a serial killer who has murdered ten people? If you think World War II was justified, your answer should be yes.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michel Templet"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-hundred-innocent-people-in-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Innocent people"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-hundred-innocent-people-in-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/michel-templet-11969_innocent-people_is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-h_1030444.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/michel-templet-11969_innocent-people_is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-h_1030444.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/michel-templet-11969_innocent-people_is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-h_1030444.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Is it morally acceptable to murder one hundred innocent people in the process of catching a serial killer…” — Michel Templet",
                "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": "Michel Templet",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Is it morally acceptable to murder...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-hundred-innocent-people-in-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-hundred-innocent-people-in-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
