Arrangements Quote by Willard Gaylin
“Spare me therefore, your good intentions, your inner sensitivities, your unarticulated and unexpressed love. And spare me also these tedious psycho-historians which, by exposing the goodness inside the bad man, and the evil in the good-invariably establish a vulgar and perverse egalitarianism, as if the arrangement of what is outside and what inside makes no moral difference.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Ethics of Psychohistory, 1995
The speaker rejects moral analysis that equates external actions with internal intentions, arguing that true morality depends on deeper character, not superficial equality.
In simple terms: Moral judgments should consider character, not just actions.
Key Takeaway
Focus on inner character over superficial equality.
Themes
ethics
philosophy
human nature
morality
equality
Mood
reflective
philosophical
skeptical
Type
ethical
philosophical
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- psychotherapy
- ethical debates
- personal development
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
character
virtue
moral relativism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines true moral goodness?
- Can external actions ever reflect inner virtue?
A Different Perspective
It may ignore systemic factors influencing behavior.
