Ethics and Morality

The man who has graduated from the flogging block at Eton to the bench from which he sentences the garotter to be flogged is the same social product as the garotter who has been kicked by his father and cuffed by his mother until he has grown strong enough to throttle and rob the rich citizen whose money he desires.

All scoundrelism is summed up in the phrase "Que Messieurs les Assassins commencent!"

Marriage, or any other form of promiscuous amoristic monogamy, is fatal to large States because it puts its ban on the deliberate breeding of man as a political animal.

The modern sentimental term for the national minimum of celibacy is Purity.

Do not give your children moral and religious instruction unless you are quite sure they will not take it too seriously. Better be the mother of Henri Quatre and Nell Gwynne than of Robespierre and Queen Mary Tudor.

Marriage is the only legal contract which abrogates as between the parties all the laws that safeguard the particular relation to which it refers.

The best brought-up children are those who have seen their parents as they are. Hypocrisy is not the parent's first duty.

The relation of superior to inferior excludes good manners.

Do not love your neighbor as yourself. If you are on good terms with yourself it is an impertinence: if on bad, an injury.

Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.

FROM THE BEGINNING MEN USED GOD TO JUSTIFY THE UNJUSTIFIABLE.

HERESY IS ONLY ANOTHER WORD FOR FREEDOM OF THOUGHT.

THE LOWEST AND VILEST ALLEYS IN LONDON DO NOT PRESENT A MORE DREADFUL RECORD OF SIN THAN DOES THE SMILING AND BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE.

We do not look in great cities for our best morality.

GOOD AND BAD MEN ARE EACH LESS SO THAN THEY SEEM.

A VICE IS ONLY AN EXAGGERATION OF A NECESSARY AND VIRTUOUS FUNCTION.

In England the only homage which they pay to Virtue – is hypocrisy.

Oh, blameless people are always the most exasperating.

VICES AND VIRTUES ARE OF A STRANGE NATURE, FOR THE MORE WE HAVE, THE FEWER WE THINK WE HAVE.

Oone should alwayd be drunk… With wine, with poetry, or with virtue as you choose. but get drunk

I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.

IF THERE WERE NO BAD PEOPLE, THERE WOULD BE NO GOOD LAWYERS.

I believe in getting into hot water. I think it keeps you clean.

IN MANY WALKS OF LIFE, A CONSCIENCE IS A MORE EXPENSIVE ENCUMBRANCE THAN A WIFE OR A CARRIAGE.