Quote

In all common ordinary cases, we see intuitively at first view what is out duty, what is the honest part. This is the ground of the observation, that the first thought is often the best. In these cases, doubt and deliberation is itself dishonesty as it was in Balaam upon the second message.

Joseph Butler

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Joseph Butler
Age: 60 †
Born: 1692
Born: May 18
Died: 1752
Died: June 16
Philosopher
Priest
Theologian
Wantage
Berkshire
A Gentleman in Gloucestershire
Often
Duty
Deliberation
Thought
Second
Dishonesty
Part
Cases
Observation
Best
Views
Message
Firsts
Honest
Messages
First
Doubt
Ground
Common
Ordinary
Balaam
Upon
View
Intuitively

More quotes by Joseph Butler

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There is a much more exact correspondence between the natural and moral world than we are apt to take notice of.
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Every thing is what it is, and not another thing.
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For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
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The love of liberty that is not a real principle of dutiful behavior to authority is as hypocritical as the religion that is not productive of a good life.
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Both our senses and our passions are a supply to the imperfection of our nature thus they show that we are such sort of creatures as to stand in need of those helps which higher orders of creatures do not.
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The tongue may be employed about, and made to serve all the purposes of vice, in tempting and deceiving, in perjury and injustice.
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The object of self-love is expressed in the term self and every appetite of sense, and every particular affection of the heart, are equally interested or disinterested, because the objects of them all are equally self or somewhat else.
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The Epistles in the New Testament have all of them a particular reference to the condition and usages of the Christian world at the time they were written.
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Happiness or satisfaction consists only in the enjoyment of those objects which are by nature suited to our several particular appetites, passions, and affections.
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It is not at all incredible, that a book which has been so long in the possession of mankind should contain many truths as yet undiscovered.
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The first thought is often the best.
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The satisfaction that accompanies good acts is itself not the motivation of the act satisfaction is not the motive, but only the consequence.
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That which is the foundation of all our hopes and of all our fears all our hopes and fears which are of any consideration I mean a Future Life.
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The sum of the whole is plainly this: The nature of man considered in his single capacity, and with respect only to the present world, is adapted and leads him to attain the greatest happiness he can for himself in the present world.
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Remember likewise there are persons who love fewer words, an inoffensive sort of people, and who deserve some regard, though of too still and composed tempers for you.
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Every one of our passions and affections hath its natural stint and bound, which may easily be exceeded whereas our enjoyments can possibly be but in a determinate measure and degree.
Joseph Butler
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Every man hath a general desire of his own happiness and likewise a variety of particular affections, passions, and appetites to particular external objects.
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Love of our neighbour, then, has just the same respect to, is no more distant from, self-love, than hatred of our neighbour, or than love or hatred of anything else.
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People might love themselves with the most entire and unbounded affection, and yet be extremely miserable.
Joseph Butler
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Things and actions are what they are, and the consequences of them will be what they will be: why then should we desire to be deceived?
Joseph Butler