---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The moral world has no particular…"
description: "\"“The moral world has no particular objection to vice, but an insuperable repugnance to hearing vice called by its proper name. A polite public will no ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_every-day_the-moral-world-has-no-particular-object_946012.jpg"
---

#  The moral world has no particular objection to vice, but…

![“The moral world has no particular objection to vice, but an insuperable repugnance to hearing vice called by its proper name. A polite public will no more bear to read an authentic description of vice than a truly-refined English or American female will permit the word 'breeches' to be pronounced…” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_every-day_the-moral-world-has-no-particular-object_946012.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_every-day_the-moral-world-has-no-particular-object_946012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_every-day_the-moral-world-has-no-particular-object_946012.jpg)

> ““The moral world has no particular objection to vice, but an insuperable repugnance to hearing vice called by its proper name. A polite public will no more bear to read an authentic description of vice than a truly-refined English or American female will permit the word 'breeches' to be pronounced in her chaste hearing. And yet, madam, both are walking the world before our faces every day without much shocking us. If you were to blush every time they went by, what complexions you would have!””

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Society tolerates vice when unnamed but recoils at its explicit labeling, exposing hypocrisy in moral standards.

**In simple terms:** People accept wrongdoing silently but are offended by naming it.

Key Takeaway

Name problems openly to challenge double standards.

Themes

hypocrisy morality social norms language gender

Mood

critical reflective ironic

Type

literary satirical social commentary

When to use this quote

- political commentary
- media analysis
- personal relationships
- education
- law enforcement

Key Concepts

social criticism censorship public decency

Questions to Reflect On

- How does language shape our moral judgments?
- Can confronting vice directly improve societal integrity?

A Different Perspective

Naming vice can provoke backlash and resistance, limiting honest discourse.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Description Vice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description-vice-1652551/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Objection Vice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objection-vice-1652550/) [Vice Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice-called-1652548/) [Vice Truly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice-truly-1652549/) [Word Breeches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-breeches-1652552/)

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