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Good & Evil


Good & Evil

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Quotations

Albert EinsteinThe world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.

—  Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German-Jewish physicist

40 likes
Edmund BurkeThe only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

—  Edmund Burke, 1729-1797, British statesman & philosopher

39 likes
Saint AugustineThe good man is free, even if he is a slave. The evil man is a slave, even if he is a king.

—  Saint Augustine, 354-430, Christian theologian & philosopher

24 likes
Friedrich NietzscheThere is an old illusion. It is called good and evil.

—  Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher

17 likes
AristotleEverything that depends on the action of nature is by nature as good as it can be.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

16 likes
Michel de MontaigneEvery other knowledge is harmful to him who does not have knowledge of goodness.

—  Michel de Montaigne, 1533-1592, French thinker

13 likes
Robert Louis StevensonGood and evil are so close as to be chained together in the soul.

—  Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1894, Scottish writer

13 likes
BouddhaThe evil you do stays with you. The good you do returns to you.

—  Bouddha, 563-483 BC, Indian founder of Buddhism

12 likes
Jean CocteauThere is an angel inside me whom I am constantly shocking.

—  Jean Cocteau, 1889-1963, French artist

12 likes
Thales of MiletusSomeone asked him if it would be possible to hide evil from the gods. He said, “Not even in your thoughts.”

—  Thales of Miletus, 643-548 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

12 likes
George Bernard ShawThose who understand evil pardon it.

—  George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925

11 likes
Ayn RandSo you think that money is the root of all evil. Have you ever asked what is the root of all money?

—  Ayn Rand, 1905-1982, American writer & philosopher

9 likes
Charles BaudelaireEvil happens without effort, naturally, inevitably; Good is always the product of skill.

—  Charles Baudelaire, 1821-1867, French poet

9 likes
Edgar CayceThere is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, it doesn't behoove any of us to speak evil of the rest of us.

—  Edgar Cayce, 1877-1945, American mystic & prophet

9 likes
Marie von Ebner-EschenbachLittle evil would be done in the world if evil never could be done in the name of good.

—  Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, 1830-1916, German author of maxims

8 likes
Martin Luther KingThere is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

—  Martin Luther King, 1929-1968, American leader in the Civil Rights Movement

7 likes
Saint Thomas AquinasGood can exist without evil, whereas evil cannot exist without good.

—  Saint Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274, Italian Dominican friar & philosopher

7 likes
Friedrich NietzscheThat which is done out of love is always beyond good and evil.

—  Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher

6 likes
Aleister CrowleyThe pious pretence that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous and menacing.

—  Aleister Crowley, 1875-1945, British magician & occultist,

5 likes
Eugene IonescoPeople always try to find base motives behind every good action. We are afraid of pure goodness and of pure evil.

—  Eugene Ionesco, 1912-1994, French-Romanian playwright

5 likes
Ayn RandEvil requires the sanction of the victim.

—  Ayn Rand, 1905-1982, American writer & philosopher

4 likes
Calvin CoolidgeLittle progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil. Our great hope lies in developing what is good.

—  Calvin Coolidge, 1872-1933, American President [1923-1929]

4 likes
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.State interference is an evil, where it cannot be shown to be a good.

—  Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., 1841-1935, 

4 likes
Anton ChekhovTo a chemist, nothing on earth is unclean. A writer must be as objective as a chemist; he must abandon the subjective line; he must know that dungheaps play a very respectable part in a landscape, and that evil passions are as inherent in life as good ones.

—  Anton Chekhov, 1860-1904, Russian writer

4 likes
Jean BaudrillardAbsolute depth knows neither good nor evil. Thus the intelligence of evil goes far beyond pessimism.

—  Jean Baudrillard, 1929-2007, French intellectual

3 likes
Alain de BenoistA necessary evil is not a lesser evil. The worst evil is the one we need. For example, money.

—  Alain de Benoist, 1943-, French philosopher

3 likes
William BlakeActive Evil is better than Passive Good.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

2 likes
Baltasar GracianFriendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.

—  Baltasar Gracian, 1601-1658, Spanish writer

Thomas HobbesMen look not at the greatness of the evil past, but the greatness of the good to follow.

—  Thomas Hobbes, 1588-1679, English philosopher

Rainer Maria RilkeDon’t take my demons away, because my angels may flee too.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

Bertolt BrechtWhen evil-doing comes like falling rain, nobody calls out “stop!”. When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible. When sufferings become unendurable, the cries are no longer heard. The cries, too, fall like rain in summer.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

Anatole FranceNature, in her indifference, makes no distinction between good and evil.

—  Anatole France, 1844-1924, French writer, Nobel 1921

Terry PratchettMost of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally evil, but by people being fundamentally people.

—  Terry Pratchett, 1948-2015, British writer

Terry PratchettEvil begins when you begin to treat people as things.

—  Terry Pratchett, 1948-2015, British writer

Martin HeideggerWe should live totally in the face of the night and of the Evil.

—  Martin Heidegger, 1889-1976, German philosopher

D. H. LawrenceThis is the very worst wickedness, that we refuse to acknowledge the passionate evil that is in us. This makes us secret and rotten.

—  D. H. Lawrence, 1885-1930, British writer

Joseph De MaistreIf there was no moral evil upon earth, there would be no physical evil.

—  Joseph De Maistre, 1753-1821, Savoyard diplomat & philosopher

Francis BaconA bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint.

—  Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, English philosopher

Marilyn MonroeI am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.

—  Marilyn Monroe, 1926-1962, American actress

Ray BradburyGood to evil seems evil.

—  Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012, American sci-fi writer

Frank HerbertThe ultimate test ... to see the good in evil and the evil in good.

—  Frank Herbert, 1920-1986, American sci-fi writer

TertullianIt is absolutely forbidden to repay evil with evil.

—  Tertullian, 155-240 AD, Berber-Roman Christian author

TertullianJust as no soul is without sin, so neither is any soul without seeds of good.

—  Tertullian, 155-240 AD, Berber-Roman Christian author

Christian BobinThe evil of television is not in television, it is in the world.

—  Christian Bobin, 1951-2022, French writer

Joseph ConradThe belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.

—  Joseph Conrad, 1857-1924, British-Polish writer

Baltasar GracianNever open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it.

—  Baltasar Gracian, 1601-1658, Spanish writer

Franz KafkaEvil knows of the Good, but Good does not know of Evil. Knowledge of oneself is something only Evil has.

—  Franz Kafka, 1883-1924, Bohemian writer

Leonardo da VinciHe who does not punish evil commands it to be done.

—  Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519, Italian polymath & painter

Latin Quotes

Latin phraseBad from the good.

De malo, bonum.

—  Latin phrase

62 likes
Saint AugustineAll good from God, all evil from man.

Omne bonum a Deo, omne malum ab homine.

—  Saint Augustine, 354-430, Christian theologian & philosopher

60 likes
Latin phraseAn evil thing known is best.

Nota res mala, optima.

—  Latin phrase

42 likes

Quotes in Verse

W.H. AudenEvil is unspectacular and always human,
And shares our bed and eats at our own table.

—  W.H. Auden, 1907-1973, British poet

Ancient Greek

SocratesThere is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.

Εν μόνον αγαθόν είναι, την επιστήμην, και εν μόνον κακόν, την αμαθίαν.

—  Socrates, 469-399 BC, Ancient Geek Philosopher

106 likes
Ancient Greek phraseNothing bad is without something good.

Ουδέν κακόν αμιγές καλού.

—  Ancient Greek phrase

74 likes
SophoclesThere are many evils and there is no worse evil than man.

Πολλά τα δεινά κουδέν ανθρώπου δεινότερον πέλει.

—  Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Ancient tragic poet ‐ Antigone

45 likes
EuripidesThere cannot be good without evil, but in their mixture things may turn out well.

Ουκ αν γένοιτο χωρίς εσθλά και κακά, αλλ’ έστι τις σύγκρασις, ώστ’ έχειν καλώς.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Aeolus

34 likes
HeraclitusGood and evil are the same thing.

Αγαθόν και κακόν ταυτόν.

—  Heraclitus, 544-484 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

32 likes
PlatoPleasure, a most mighty lure to evil.

Ηδονήν, μέγιστον κακού δέλεαρ.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

25 likes
HesiodThe evil decision is most evil for him who takes it.

Η δε κακή βουλή τω βουλεύσαντι κακίστη.

—  Hesiod, 7th cent. BC, Ancient Greek poet ‐ Works and Days -266

19 likes
EuripidesThe good can never mix with the evil.

Κακώ γαρ εσθλόν ού συμμείγνυται.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Ion

14 likes

Proverbs

English proverbBetter the devil you know than the devil you don't know.

—  English proverb

9 likes
English proverbSee no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

—  English proverb

4 likes

Movie Quotes

Schindler’s List (1993)The list is an absolute good. The list is life.

—  from the film Schindler’s List (1993)

6 likes



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