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My father once told me that respect for truth comes close to being the basis for all morality. 'Something cannot emerge from nothing,' he said. This is profound thinking if you understand how unstable 'the truth' can be.
Frank Herbert
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Respecting truth is fundamental to morality, but truth can be complex and unstable.

In this quote, Frank Herbert reflects on the significance of truth in moral reasoning. He emphasizes that while truth is a foundational element of morality, it is often subject to interpretation and can be elusive, suggesting that understanding its nuances is crucial for ethical decision-making.

Themes

TruthMoralityRespectPhilosophyEthics

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about ethics, one might say, 'As Frank Herbert pointed out, respect for truth is essential for morality.'

More from Frank Herbert

If you need something to worship, then worship life - all life, every last crawling bit of it! We're all in this beauty together!
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Religion must remain an outlet for people who say to themselves, "I am not the kind of person I want to be." It must never sink into an assemblage of the self-satisfied.
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To know a thing well, know it's limits; Only when pushed beyond it's tolerance will it's true nature be seen. -The Amtal Rule
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Technology tends toward avoidance of risks by investors. Uncertainty is ruled out if possible. People generally prefer the predictable. Few recognize how destructive this can be, how it imposes severe limits on variability and thus makes whole populations fatally vulnerable to the shocking ways our universe can throw the dice.
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It is impossible to live in the past, difficult to live in the present and a waste to live in the future.
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. . . is to attempt seeing Truth without knowing Falsehood. It is the attempt to see the Light without knowing Darkness. It cannot be.
Frank HerbertRead

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