Joseph Butler Quotes

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... view

By: Joseph Butler

Every man hath a general desire of his own happiness.. view

By: Joseph Butler

The principle we call self-love never seeks anything external for the sake of the thing, but only as a means of happiness or good: particular affections rest in the external things themselves... view

By: Joseph Butler

The object of self-love is expressed in the term self.. view

By: Joseph Butler

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... view

By: Joseph Butler

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... view

By: Joseph Butler

God Almighty is, to be sure, unmoved by passion or appetite, unchanged by affection.. view

By: Joseph Butler

The final causes, then, of compassion are to prevent and to relieve misery... view

By: Joseph Butler

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... view

By: Joseph Butler

The tongue may be employed about, and made to serve all the purposes of vice, in tempting and deceiving, in perjury and injustice... view

By: Joseph Butler

There is a much more exact correspondence between the natural and moral world than we are apt to take notice of... view

By: Joseph Butler

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?.. view

By: Joseph Butler

Thus self-love as one part of human nature, and the several particular principles as the other part, are, themselves, their objects and ends, stated and shown... view

By: Joseph Butler

This was the man, this Balaam, I say, was the man, who desired to die the death of the righteous, and that his last end might be like his.. view

By: Joseph Butler

Thus there is no doubt the eye was intended for us to see with... view

By: Joseph Butler

The private interest of the individual would not be sufficiently provided for by reasonable and cool self-love alone.. view

By: Joseph Butler

Self-love then does not constitute THIS or THAT to be our interest or good.. view

By: Joseph Butler

Happiness does not consist in self-love... view

By: Joseph Butler

Happiness or satisfaction consists only in the enjoyment of those objects which are by nature suited to our several particular appetites, passions, and affections... view

By: Joseph Butler

However, without considering this connection, there is no doubt but that more good than evil, more delight than sorrow, arises from compassion itself.. view

By: Joseph Butler

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... view

By: Joseph Butler

Man may act according to that principle or inclination which for the present happens to be strongest, and yet act in a way disproportionate to, and violate his real proper nature... view

By: Joseph Butler

Every one of our passions and affections hath its natural stint and bound, which may easily be exceeded.. view

By: Joseph Butler

People might love themselves with the most entire and unbounded affection, and yet be extremely miserable... view

By: Joseph Butler

Every man is to be considered in two capacities, the private and public.. view

By: Joseph Butler

As this world was not intended to be a state of any great satisfaction or high enjoyment, so neither was it intended to be a mere scene of unhappiness and sorrow... view

By: Joseph Butler

Both our senses and our passions are a supply to the imperfection of our nature.. view

By: Joseph Butler

But to us, probability is the very guide of life... view

By: Joseph Butler

Compassion is a call, a demand of nature, to relieve the unhappy as hunger is a natural call for food... view

By: Joseph Butler

Consequently it will often happen there will be a desire of particular objects, in cases where they cannot be obtained without manifest injury to others... view

By: Joseph Butler

Pain and sorrow and misery have a right to our assistance: compassion puts us in mind of the debt, and that we owe it to ourselves as well as to the distressed... view

By: Joseph Butler