--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In philosophy class I think we finally…" description: "\"In philosophy class I think we finally decided that 'good' is an infinitely recursive term - it can't be defined except in terms of itself. Good is goo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/orson-scott-card-134_be-good_in-philosophy-class-i-think-we-finally-d_2198660.jpg" --- # In philosophy class I think we finally decided that 'good'… ![“In philosophy class I think we finally decided that 'good' is an infinitely recursive term - it can't be defined except in terms of itself. Good is good because it's better than bad, though why it's better to be good than bad depends on how you define good, and on and on.” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/orson-scott-card-134_be-good_in-philosophy-class-i-think-we-finally-d_2198660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/orson-scott-card-134_be-good_in-philosophy-class-i-think-we-finally-d_2198660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/orson-scott-card-134_be-good_in-philosophy-class-i-think-we-finally-d_2198660.jpg) > “In philosophy class I think we finally decided that 'good' is an infinitely recursive term - it can't be defined except in terms of itself. Good is good because it's better than bad, though why it's better to be good than bad depends on how you define good, and on and on.” [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good is defined recursively, relying on its contrast with bad, making its definition circular. **In simple terms:** Good is defined by being better than bad, but that definition loops. Key Takeaway Recognize that some concepts are self‑referential and explore their implications. Themes philosophy language definition Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical academic When to use this quote - ethical debates - critical thinking - academic discussion Key Concepts recursive logic semantic analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do we navigate circular definitions? - Can we accept some concepts as inherently self‑referential? A Different Perspective May lead to endless debate without resolution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Define Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/define-good-623321/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Infinitely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-infinitely-1696322/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Recursive Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recursive-term-4820735/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Terms Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terms-good-416445/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [A thing is lovable according as it is good. But God is infinite good. Therefore He is infinitely lovable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/a-thing-is-lovable-according-as-it-is-good-but-god-is-infinite-good/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Is he a good man?" "Define 'good'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleopatra/is-he-a-good-man-define-good/) [Cleopatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleopatra/) > [In any age range, there are some limitations in terms of good, good parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/in-any-age-range-there-are-some-limitations-in-terms-of-good-good/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Think in terms of what's good for the other person and success will seek you out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/think-in-terms-of-what-s-good-for-the-other-person-and-success-will/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [The terms good and bad indicate no positive quality in things regarded in themselves, but are merely modes of thinking or notions, which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-terms-good-and-bad-indicate-no-positive-quality-in-things/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [You have to be careful who you let define your good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/you-have-to-be-careful-who-you-let-define-your-good/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Different people define "the good life" in different ways. 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We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Why did he hesitate? 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Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. 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Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) [Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In philosophy class I think we finally decided that 'good' is an infinitely recursive term - it can't be defined except in terms of itself. 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