quote · Legacy record
Idealism easily becomes dangerous because it brings with it, almost inevitably, the belief that the ends justify the means. If you are fighting for good or for God, what matters is the outcome, not the path. People have little respect for rules; we respect the moral principles that underlie most rules. But when a moral mission and legal rules are incompatible, we usually care more about the mission.
Idealism easily becomes dangerous because it brings with it, almost inevitably, the belief that the ends justify the means. If you are fighting for good or for God, what matters is the outcome, not the path. People have little respect for rules; we respect the moral principles that underlie most rules. But when a moral mission and legal rules are incompatible, we usually care more about the mission.
Approximate author period: c. 1963 AD · modern
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- Author or tradition
- Jonathan Haidt
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
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- Approximate author period: c. 1963 AD · modern
Approximate author-period evidence for Jonathan Haidt: documented birth year 1963; activity date not established. Wikidata Q845573, inspected 2026-10-08. Not a quotation composition date or independent verification of attribution. Source: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q845573 (accessed 2026-10-08).
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Supplied reference C; CSV row 165299; supplied attribution, independently unverified
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