Action Quote by William Ernest Hocking
“Wherever moral ambition exists, there right exists. And moral ambition itself must be presumed present in subconsciousness, even when the conscious self seems to reject it, so long as society has resources for bringing it into action; in much the same way that the life-saver presumes life to exist in the drowned man until he has exhausted his resources for recovering respiration.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Moral Philosophy Essays, William Ernest Hocking, 1915
Moral drive exists beneath conscious denial, ready to act when society can support it, like a lifeguard assuming a drowned man's life until rescue fails.
In simple terms: Moral drive hidden but can act when supported.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and enable latent moral impulses.
Themes
ethics
psychology
society
motivation
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- policy making
- community activism
- personal decision making
- leadership
- education
Key Concepts
subconscious moral agency
resource dependence
social responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you identify hidden moral drives?
- What resources unlock ethical action?
A Different Perspective
If resources are lacking, moral ambition may remain dormant.
![“To think, analyze and invent, he [Pierre Menard] also wrote me, “are not anomalous acts, but the normal respiration of the intelligence. To glorify the occasional fulfillment of this function, to treasure ancient thoughts of others, to remember with incredulous amazement that the doctor universal…” quote by Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cd7/jorge-luis-borges-275_amazement_to-think-analyze-and-invent-he-pierre-me_1728957.jpg)
