Justifications and rationales

Explore 15 quotes about Justifications and rationales

His reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff: you shall seek all day ere you find them, and when you have them, they are not worth the search.

William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice

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More information about this quote

Topic

Justifications and rationales Nonsense and bullshit

Speaker

Bassanio

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

The Merchant of Venice

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedy (play)

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1598 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. c. 1598, The Theatre, London, England, UK, act 1, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Merchant of Venice." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 1, sc. 1.

The end must justify the means.

Matthew Prior

Hans Carvel

More information about this quote

Topic

Moral theory Justifications and rationales

Author

Matthew Prior

Source

Hans Carvel

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Precepts and axioms

Language

English

Time

1700 1700s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Prior, Matthew. Hans Carvel. c. 1700.

I must be cruel only to be kind.

William Shakespeare

Hamlet

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Topic

End justifies the means Justifications and rationales Cruelty Kindness

Speaker

Hamlet

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Hamlet

Medium

Play

Genre

Tragedy (play)

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

English

Time

1616 1610s 17th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. London: Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, 1623, act 3, sc. 4.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 3, sc. 4.

The most exquisite Folly is made of Wisdom spun too fine.

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

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Read this proverb at the National Archives website

More information about this quote

Topic

Justifications and rationales Wisdom

Author

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

Source

Poor Richard's Almanack

Medium

Almanac

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

English

Time

1746 1740s 18th century

Era

Colonial America

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Franklin, Benjamin [published as Richard Saunders]. Poor Richard's Almanack. Philadelphia, 1746.

Current Citation

Franklin, Benjamin. "Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1746." Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography, Poor Richard, and Later Writings, edited by J. A. Leo Lemay. Library of America, 2005.

I was on this tour for one reason, money. But now I got a new reason, kickin' your ass!

Happy Gilmore

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More information about this quote

Topic

Money Kicking ass Justifications and rationales

Speaker

Happy Gilmore

Actor

Adam Sandler

Source

Happy Gilmore

Medium

Film

Genre

Sports comedy (film) Comedy (film) Sports comedy Comedy

Language

English

Time

1996 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Happy Gilmore. Directed by Dennis Dugan, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment/Robert Simonds Productions, 1996.

Anger is never without an argument, but seldom with a good one.

George Savile, Lord Halifax

More information about this quote

Topic

Anger Justifications and rationales

Author

George Savile, Lord Halifax

Source

Of Anger

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

1750 1750s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Savile, George. "Of Anger." A Character of King Charles The Second and Political, Moral and Miscellaneous Thoughts and Reflections. London: J. and R. Tonson and S. Draper, 1750.

The end justifies the means.

Hermann Busenbaum

More information about this quote

Topic

End justifies the means Justifications and rationales Moral relativism Moral theory Morality

Author

Hermann Busenbaum

Source

Medulla Theologiae Moralis

Genre

Religious literature Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1650 1650s 17th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Busenbaum, Hermann. Medulla Theologiae Moralis. 1650.

A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in its turn needs to be justified.

Leon Trotsky

More information about this quote

Topic

End justifies the means Justifications and rationales

Author

Leon Trotsky

Source

Their Morals and Ours Socialist Workers' Party's New International Magazine

Medium

Essay Magazine

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1938 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Trotsky, Leon. "Their Morals and Ours." The New International, June 1938.

As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil, then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to destroy.

Christopher Dawson

More information about this quote

Topic

End justifies the means Justifications and rationales

Author

Christopher Dawson

Source

The Judgment of the Nations

Genre

Historical literature

Language

English

Time

1942 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Dawson, Christopher. The Judgment of the Nations. Sheed & Ward, 1942, pt. 1, ch. 1.

Everyone has their reasons.

The Rules of the Game

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More information about this quote

Topic

Justifications and rationales

Speaker

Octave

Actor

Jean Renoir

Source

The Rules of the Game

Medium

Film

Genre

Drama (film) Satire (film) Drama Satire

Language

French

Time

1939 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

La règle du jeu [The Rules of the Game.] Directed by Jean Renoir, Nouvelle Édition Française, 1939.

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose!

William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice

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More information about this quote

Topic

Justifications and rationales The devil

Speaker

Antonio

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

The Merchant of Venice

Medium

Play

Genre

Comedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1598 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. c. 1598, The Theatre, London, England, UK, act 1, sc. 3.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Merchant of Venice." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 1, sc. 3.

I never knew a man who had better motives for all the trouble he caused.

Graham Greene

The Quiet American

More information about this quote

Topic

Justifications and rationales

Speaker

Alden Pyle

Author

Graham Greene

Source

The Quiet American

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1955 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Greene, Graham. The Quiet American. William Heinemann, 1955, ch. 4, sec. 2.

The problem here is that there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons. But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.

Condoleezza Rice

More information about this quote

Topic

Justifications and rationales Iraq War

Speaker

Condoleezza Rice

Medium

Interview

Language

English

Time

2002 2000s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Rice, Condoleezza. "CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." Interviewed by Wolf Blitzer. CNN, 8 Sept. 2002.

Metaphysics is the finding of bad reasons for what we believe upon instinct; but to find these reasons is no less an instinct.

F.H. Bradley

More information about this quote

Topic

Metaphysics Justifications and rationales Human nature

Author

F.H. Bradley

Source

Appearance and Reality

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

English

Time

1893 1890s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Bradley, F. H. Appearance and Reality. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1893, preface.

Current Citation

Bradley, F. H. Appearance and Reality. Routledge, 2010, preface.

A man always has two reasons for what he does-a good one, and the real one.

J.P. Morgan

More information about this quote

Topic

Justifications and rationales

Speaker

J.P. Morgan

Language

English

Time

1930 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Morgan, John Pierpont. Quoted in Roosevelt: The Story of a Friendship, written by Owen Wister. Macmillan, 1930.