The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues.
PhilosophyHuman natureIntelligenceCharacterMoralityViceVirtue
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Great intellectual capacity does not guarantee moral goodness; the same mind that achieves great good can also commit great evil.
- In plain terms
- Smart people can do very good things and very bad things.
- What can you take from it?
- Intelligence alone is not a measure of character.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does intelligence make someone more likely to commit vice?
- How do you judge a person's mind versus their actions?
Another view
The quote implies a symmetry between virtue and vice that may not always hold in practice.
More from Rene Descartes
It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.
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