"Cada virtud es un vicio si procede de un fin falso"
— Philip Sidney
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Simplified Meaning:
When a good quality or action comes from a wrong intention or goal, it can actually be harmful. Imagine a situation where a person donates a lot of money to charity. Normally, giving to charity is a very good thing. However, if this person is only doing it to look important or to gain power over others, the action isn't truly virtuous anymore. Even though it appears good on the outside, it's driven by selfish reasons, which makes it less admirable. It's like when someone helps others just to receive praise; their helpfulness is tainted by their desire for attention. In life, we should not only focus on doing good things but also make sure we are doing them for the right reasons, like genuinely wanting to help others.
Related tags
Dualism Ethics Intention Moral philosophy Morality Philosophy Purpose Vice Virtue WisdomFEATURED QUOTES
