WIST Quotations

Russell, Bertrand -- Conquest of Happiness, Part 2, ch. 10 “Is Happiness Still Possible?” (1930)

Dave — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:07:46 +0000

Any pleasure that does no harm to other people is to be valued.

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Conquest of Happiness, Part 2, ch. 10 “Is Happiness Still Possible?” (1930)
(Source)

Roosevelt, Theodore -- Speech (1910-04-23), “Citizenship in a Republic [The Man in the Arena],” Sorbonne, Paris

Dave — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 23:38:12 +0000

There is nothing to be done with that type of citizen of whom all that can be said is that he is harmless. Virtue which is dependent upon a sluggish circulation is not impressive. There is little place in active life for the timid good man.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer; US President (1901–09)
Speech (1910-04-23), “Citizenship in a Republic [The Man in the Arena],” Sorbonne, Paris
(Source)

Chamfort, Nicolas -- Products of Perfected Civilization [Produits de la Civilisation Perfectionée], Part 1 “Maxims and Thoughts [Maximes et Pensées],” ch. 5, ¶ 319 (1795) [tr. Siniscalchi (1994)]

Dave — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:43:49 +0000

To enjoy and to give joy, without harming either oneself or anyone else, that, I think, is all of morality.

[Jouis et fair jouir, sans faire mal ni à toi ni à personne, voilà, je crois, toute la morale.]

Nicolas Chamfort (1741–1794) French writer, epigrammist (b. Nicolas-Sébastien Roch)
Products of Perfected Civilization [Produits de la Civilisation Perfectionée], Part 1 “Maxims and Thoughts [Maximes et Pensées],” ch. 5, ¶ 319 (1795) [tr. Siniscalchi (1994)]
(Source)

(Source (French)). Other translations:

To enjoy yourself and make others enjoy themselves, without harming yourself or any other; that, to my mind, is the whole of ethics.
[tr. Mathers (1926)]

Enjoy and give pleasure, without doing harm to yourself or to anyone else -- that, I think, is the whole of morality.
[tr. Merwin (1969)]

Enjoy and make others enjoy; without doing harm to yourself or anyone else: that, I think, sums up the whole of morality.
[tr. Pearson (1973)]

Give and take pleasure, without doing harm to yourself or anyone else -- that, I think, sums up morality.
[tr. Dusinberre (1992), Frag. 319]

Take your pleasure, give pleasure to others without doing harm to yourself or to anyone else: that sums up the whole of morality.
[tr. Parmée (2003), ¶ 196]