Monday, November 17, 2014

Quotation of the day for November 17, 2014

The Quotation Of The Day Mailing List

Quotation of the Day for November 17, 2014



"Civilization is arguably a story of an expanding moral circle. Over time we've extended kindness from kin to tribe to nation and beyond. In 1776 when Thomas Jefferson declared "all men are created equal" he implicitly excluded women, African Americans, Native Americans, Jews, Quakers, Catholics, men without property, and anyone under 21. The Rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness applied to less than ten percent of the human population. Whether we'll extend ourselves further, or not, is unclear, but shouldn't we take the time to consider our principles of classification? Is the boundary of our moral circle fuzzy or fixed? Is the center sentience or suffering? How do we circumscribe empathy?"

- Peter Morville, Intertwingled.

Submitted by: Margaret A. Syverson
Nov. 10, 2014

Tweet this quotation


Follow us on Twitter to see what we're reading

Visit our blog
Find
Peter Morville
at Amazon.ca.

Please support qotd by shopping at our Amazon.ca store
Find
Peter Morville
at Amazon.com.

Please support qotd by shopping at our Amazon.com store