Hurting people Quote by Peg Tittle
““For example, suppose I said that selling unsafe products was wrong because it hurt people (and hurting people is wrong), and you responded by saying that everyone does it. Your statement would be irrelevant because whether everyone does it doesn’t affect whether it’s wrong—unless you define “right” as “whatever everyone does.””
About This Quote
The argument shows that the prevalence of an action does not determine its moral status; ethical judgments must be based on principles, not majority behavior.
In simple terms: Wrongness isn’t decided by how common something is.
Key Takeaway
Judge actions by their impact, not popularity.
Themes
ethics
morality
logic
argumentation
Mood
critical
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
ethical
argumentative
When to use this quote
- business decisions
- product safety
- policy making
- public health campaigns
Key Concepts
deontological ethics
consequentialism
relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we justify moral claims independent of consensus?
- What principles should guide judgments when majority behavior conflicts with harm?
A Different Perspective
If societal norms define right, moral reasoning becomes circular and uncritical.
![“[attempts to save the relationship on the phone but said the wrong word while talking] It didn't come out right, but I wasn't in much of a stare to do anything, apart from hurting people. Maybe that's the only thing I'm good for in any circumstance.” quote by Paritoshik Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/773/paritoshik-sharma-3286_breakup_attempts-to-save-the-relationship-on-the_4442.jpg)
