“There’s a right thing to do,” Holden said.
“You don’t have a right thing, friend,” Miller said. “You’ve got a whole plateful of maybe a little less wrong.”
Daniel Abraham (b. 1969) American writer [pseud. James S. A. Corey (with Ty Franck), M. L. N. Hanover]
Leviathan Wakes, ch. 36 (2011) [with Ty Franck]
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Quotations about:
lesser evil
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
You should always choose the lesser of two evils.
[De duobus malis semper minus tamen est eligendum.]
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380-1471) German-Dutch priest, author
The Imitation of Christ [De Imitatione Christi], Book 3, ch. 12, v. 2 (3.12.2) (c. 1418-27) [tr. Knox-Oakley (1959)]
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In this context, Thomas is speaking of the evil (suffering) of resisting temptation and losing out on fun times in this world, compared to the evil of eternal damnation, e.g.,
If thou say, that thou art not able to suffer much, how then wilt thou endure the fire hereafter? Of two evils the less is always to be chosen. That thou mayest therefore avoid the everlasting punishment, endeavour to endure present evils patiently for God's sake. [Anon. (1901)]
See also Cicero.
(Source (Latin)). Alternate translations:
Of two evils, the less evil is to be taken.
[tr. Whitford/Raynal (1530/1871)]
Of two evils, the lesser is to be chosen.
[tr. Whitford/Gardiner (1530/1955)]
Of two evils the lesse is alwaies to be chosen.
[tr. Page (1639), 3.12.5]
Nature, as well as Religion, teaches Men, of Two Evils to choose the less.
[tr. Stanhope (1696; 1706 ed.), 3.13]
Of two evils, the least is to be chosen.
[tr. Payne (1803), 3.9.4]
Of two evils the less is alway to be chosen.
[ed. Parker (1841)]
Of two evils, the least is to be chosen.
[tr. Dibdin (1851), 3.10.1]
Of two evils we ought always to choose the less.
[ed. Bagster (1860)]
Of two evils we should always choose the less.
[tr. Benham (1874)]
Of two evils the less is always to be chosen.
[tr. Anon. (1901)]
Of two evils, the lesser is always to be chosen.
[tr. Croft/Bolton (1940)]
Of two evils always choose the less.
[tr. Daplyn (1952)]
Of two evils, always choose the lesser.
[tr. Sherley-Price (1952)]
One must always choose the lesser of two evils.
[tr. Knott (1962)]
You must always choose the lesser of two evils.
[tr. Rooney (1979)]
Always choose the lesser of two evils.
[tr. Creasy (1989)]
But I have learned from philosophers that among evils one ought not only to choose the least, but also to extract even from these any element of good that they may contain.
[Sed quia sic ab hominibus doctis accepimus, non solum ex malis eligere minima oportere, sed etiam excerpere ex his ipsis, si quid inesset boni ….]
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) Roman orator, statesman, philosopher
De Officiis [On Duties; On Moral Duty; The Offices], Book 3, ch. 1 (3.1) / sec. 3 (44 BC) [tr. Miller (1913)]
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(Source (Latin)). Alternate translation:
This is given us for a rule by the learned, that when several evils are threatening us at once, we should not only choose to undergo the least, but extract some advantage out of them, if it be possible.
[tr. Cockman (1699)]
We have been taught by learned men, not only that we ought to choose the least of evils, but also to extract from them, whatever good they contain.
[tr. McCartney (1798)]
We have bene taught by learned men, that out of evils it is fit not only to choose the least, but also from those very evils to gather whatever good is in them.
[tr. Edmonds (1865)]
Philosophers say that one ought not only of evils to choose the least, but from even these least evils to extract whatever of good there may be in them.
[tr. Peabody (1883)]
Having been taught by philosophers not only to choose the lesser evil but even to extract whatever good is in it.
[tr. Gardiner (1899)]
Learned men have taught us that not only with a choice of evils we should choose the least, but that from the evil we should endeavor to extract some good.
[Harbottle, Dictionary of Quotations (Classical) (1906 ed.)]
Philosophers have taught me not only that one ought to choose the lesser evils but also that even from them one ought to gather whatever good they might contain.
[tr. Edinger (1974)]
See also Thomas à Kempis.
When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil. You may have to make the choice, but do not fool yourself into thinking it is therefore a good.
Maxwell "Max" Lerner (1902-1992) American journalist, columnist, educator
Actions and Passions (1949)
If we look at the techniques of totalitarian government, it is obvious that the argument of “the lesser evil” — far from being raised only from the outside by those who do not belong to the ruling elite — is one of the mechanisms built into the machinery of terror and criminality. Acceptance of lesser evils is consciously used in conditioning the government officials as well as the population at large to the acceptance of evil as such.
Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) German-American philosopher, political theorist
“Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship” (1964)
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In their moral justification, the argument of the lesser evil has played a prominent role. If you are confronted with two evils, thus the argument runs, it is your duty to opt for the lesser one, whereas it is irresponsible to refuse to choose altogether. […] Politically, the weakness of the argument has always been that those who choose the lesser evil forget very quickly that they chose evil.
Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) German-American philosopher, political theorist
“Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship” (1964)
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