Character Quote by Peter Kreeft
““Morality means choice. Choice means priorities. Priorities mean a hierarchy. A hierarchy means something at the top, a standard. That is the greatest good. If you have no greatest good, you have no hierarchy, you have no priorities. If you have no priorities, you cannot make intelligent choices. If you cannot make intelligent moral choices, you have no morality. You can still guide your life by your feelings or by social fashions, but that is not choice – not free, responsible, moral choice. Both feelings and fashions push you; you are passive. But moral choice is your own doing; you are active. You are responsible for your choices but not for your feelings or for your environment’s fashions.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Theology and Moral Philosophy, 1995
Moral decisions require a hierarchy of priorities leading to a highest good; without it, choices become passive.
In simple terms: Moral choices need a top priority; without it, we’re just following feelings.
Key Takeaway
Establish a clear highest good to guide decisions.
Themes
ethics
choice
responsibility
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- personal dilemmas
- social pressures
- policy making
Key Concepts
Moral hierarchy
intelligent decisions
Questions to Reflect On
- What is your personal highest good?
- How do you balance feelings with moral standards?
A Different Perspective
Rigid hierarchies may ignore context and nuance.
