Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Diderot argues that morals are created by laws and government rather than geography or ethnicity, meaning they are judged only as good or bad.
In plain terms
Morals come from laws, not where you are from.
What can you take from it?
Laws shape our sense of right and wrong.

Where it applies

  • human rights
  • cultural exchange
  • policy reform

Putting it to work

  • evaluating laws
  • comparing cultures

Questions to consider

  • Do laws create morality?
  • Are moral values universal?

Another view

It downplays the role of culture and religion in shaping morals.

More from Denis Diderot

  1. In any country where talent and virtue produce no advancement, money will be the national god. Its inhabitants will either have to possess money or make others…

    Permalink to quote #69
  2. Patriotism is an ephemeral motive that scarcely ever outlasts the particular threat to society that aroused it.

    Permalink to quote #71
  3. The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.

    Permalink to quote #68

Related quotes

  1. On all the matters that touch upon the critical moral issues, Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the evil side. This is a fact. A mere list of the positions he suppor…

    Alan KeyesAlan Keyes quote #51
  2. On the higher plane of public morality, there is no need for me to preach tonight. We have thousands of far better preachers and millions of sacred scriptures …

    Gerald FordGerald Ford quote #52
  3. The law is only one of several imperfect and more or less external ways of defending what is better in life against what is worse. By itself, the law can never…

    Vaclav HavelVaclav Havel quote #60