Age Quote by Walter Lippmann
“The disesteem into which moralists have fallen is due at bottom to their failure to see that in an age like this one the function of the moralist is not to exhort men to be good but to elucidate what the good is. The problem of sanctions is secondary.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Public Opinion, 1922
Moralists should define what is good rather than merely urging goodness; sanctions matter less.
In simple terms: Define goodness, don’t just tell people to be good.
Key Takeaway
Focus on clarifying values, not just enforcing them.
Themes
ethics
philosophy
public discourse
Mood
thoughtful
philosophical
Type
theoretical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- policy making
- education
- media commentary
- community leadership
Key Concepts
moral theory
normative ethics
social influence
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria determine the “good”?
- How do we balance definition with enforcement?
A Different Perspective
Defining good can be subjective and contested.
![“[T]he moralists of Europe [have] pretended that beasts have no rights... a doctrine revolting/gross/barbarous... on which a native of the Asiatic uplands could not look without righteous horror...” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/178/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal_t-he-moralists-of-europe-have-pretended_646569.jpg)
