Ideas don't desert you; ideas aren't treasonous to you, but people can be.
Alan DershowitzRead
In the real world in which we live, you always have to choose between evils. And in choosing between evils, you have to have moral criteria for how to make those choices.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life often presents us with difficult choices, and we must use our morals to guide these decisions.
Alan Dershowitz highlights the inherent complexity in the decisions we face in life, where often we find ourselves forced to choose between less-than-ideal options. This quote emphasizes the importance of having a robust moral framework to guide us through these challenging situations, reminding us that our ethical beliefs should dictate our choices even when all options seem flawed.
Themes
ChoicesMoralityEthicsDecisionsEvils
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on moral dilemmas, one might use this quote to frame the discussion.
More from Alan Dershowitz
All quotes →Ed Koch will never "rest in peace." That was not his way. He was always nervously squirming, while making others squirm as well. Comfort was not his goal. He understood that to be a proud and assertive Jew meant never being able to leave a sigh of relief and say "it's over, we are at peace, we can now put down our guard and relax."
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It's never acceptable to target civilians. It violates the Geneva Accords, it violates the international law of war and it violates all principles of morality.
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When I was growing up, my mother would always say, 'It will go on your permanent record.' There was no 'permanent record.' If there were a 'permanent record,' I'd never be able to be a lawyer. I was such a bum, in elementary school and high school... There is a permanent record today and it's called the Internet.
Alan DershowitzRead
A good lawyer knows how to shut up when he's won his case.
Alan DershowitzRead
Scientists search for truth. Philosophers search for morality. A criminal trial searches for only one result: proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Alan DershowitzRead
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