Joseph Butler Quotes

Quotes about:

Affection Happiness Passion Self Love

Things and actions are what they are, and the consequences of them will be what they will be: why then should we desire to be deceived?

Joseph Butler

Fate, Desire, Action

'Fifteen Sermons preached at the Rolls Chapel' (1726) no. 7

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Every thing is what it is, and not another thing.

Joseph Butler

Joseph Butler (1844). “Sermons”, p.19

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The satisfaction that accompanies good acts is itself not the motivation of the act; satisfaction is not the motive, but only the consequence.

Joseph Butler

Happiness, Motivation, Satisfaction

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Compassion is a call, a demand of nature, to relieve the unhappy as hunger is a natural call for food

Joseph Butler

Nursing, Compassion, Nurse

Joseph Butler (2012). “Human Nature and other Sermons”, p.43, Simon and Schuster

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The love of liberty that is not a real principle of dutiful behavior to authority is as hypocritical as the religion that is not productive of a good life.

Joseph Butler

Good Life, Real, Liberty

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Happiness does not consist in self-love.

Joseph Butler

Happiness, Happy, Self

Joseph Butler, Stephen L. Darwall (1983). “Five Sermons, Preached at the Rolls Chapel and A Dissertation Upon the Nature of Virtue”, p.48, Hackett Publishing

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People habituate themselves to let things pass through their minds, as one may speak, rather than to think of them. Thus by use they become satisfied merely with seeing what is said, without going any further. Review and attention, and even forming a judgment, becomes fatigue; and to lay anything before them that requires it, is putting them quite out of their way.

Joseph Butler

Philosophical, Thinking, People

Joseph Butler (1816). “The Works of Joseph Butler ... To which is Prefixed, a Life of the Author”, p.6

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Virtue is not to be considered in the light of mere innocence, or abstaining from harm; but as the exertion of our faculties in doing good.

Joseph Butler

Light, Innocence, Action

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The first thought is often the best.

Joseph Butler

Firsts

Joseph Butler (1856). “The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature: To which are Added, Two Brief Dissertations: on Personal Identity, and on the Nature of Virtue; and Fifteen Sermons”, p.450

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But to us, probability is the very guide of life.

Joseph Butler

Life, Statistics, Guides

'The Analogy of Religion' (1736) 'Introduction'

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Every man is to be considered in two capacities, the private and public; as designed to pursue his own interest, and likewise to contribute to the good of others.

Joseph Butler

Men, Two, Capacity

Joseph Butler, Samuel Hallifax (1828). “The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Butler: To which is Prefixed, an Account of the Character and Writings of the Author”

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It is not at all incredible, that a book which has been so long in the possession of mankind should contain many truths as yet undiscovered.

Joseph Butler

Bible, Book, Biblical

Joseph Butler, Samuel Hallifax (1848). “The works of ... Joseph Butler ... to which is prefixed: an account of the character and writings of the author”, p.196

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Virtue, as such, naturally procures considerable advantages to the virtuous.

Joseph Butler

Virtue, Advantage, Virtuous

Joseph Butler, Joseph McKee (1847). “The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature”, p.69

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Every man hath a general desire of his own happiness; and likewise a variety of particular affections, passions, and appetites to particular external objects.

Joseph Butler

Passion, Men, Desire

Joseph Butler, Stephen L. Darwall (1983). “Five Sermons, Preached at the Rolls Chapel and A Dissertation Upon the Nature of Virtue”, p.47, Hackett Publishing

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God Almighty is, to be sure, unmoved by passion or appetite, unchanged by affection; but then it is to be added that He neither sees nor hears nor perceives things by any senses like ours; but in a manner infinitely more perfect.

Joseph Butler

Passion, Perfect, Affection

Joseph Butler (2012). “Human Nature and other Sermons”, p.35, Simon and Schuster

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As this world was not intended to be a state of any great satisfaction or high enjoyment, so neither was it intended to be a mere scene of unhappiness and sorrow.

Joseph Butler

Sorrow, World, Satisfaction

Joseph Butler (1852). “The Analogy of Religion ... A new edition, with an introductory essay, by Rev. Albert Barnes; and a complete index”, p.437

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The sum of the whole is plainly this: The nature of man considered in his single capacity, and with respect only to the present world, is adapted and leads him to attain the greatest happiness he can for himself in the present world.

Joseph Butler

Happiness, Men, World

Joseph Butler (1867). “The Analogy of Religion, to the Constitution & Course of Nature...”, p.215

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Both our senses and our passions are a supply to the imperfection of our nature; thus they show that we are such sort of creatures as to stand in need of those helps which higher orders of creatures do not.

Joseph Butler

Passion, Order, Imperfection

Joseph Butler (1839). “The Whole Works of Joseph Butler ...”

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Thus there is no doubt the eye was intended for us to see with.

Joseph Butler

Eye, Doubt, No Doubt

Joseph Butler, Stephen L. Darwall (1983). “Five Sermons, Preached at the Rolls Chapel and A Dissertation Upon the Nature of Virtue”, p.34, Hackett Publishing

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Pain and sorrow and misery have a right to our assistance: compassion puts us in mind of the debt, and that we owe it to ourselves as well as to the distressed.

Joseph Butler

Pain, Compassion, Mind

Joseph Butler, Samuel Hallifax (1828). “The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Butler: To which is Prefixed, an Account of the Character and Writings of the Author”

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There is a much more exact correspondence between the natural and moral world than we are apt to take notice of.

Joseph Butler

Hair, World, Moral

Joseph Butler, Samuel Hallifax (1848). “The Works of ... Joseph Butler ... to which is Prefixed: Sermons. Correspondence between Dr. Butler and Dr. Clarke”, p.21

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That which is the foundation of all our hopes and of all our fears; all our hopes and fears which are of any consideration; I mean a Future Life.

Joseph Butler

Mean, Foundation, Consideration

Joseph Butler (1860). “Analogy of Religion”, p.90

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The principle we call self-love never seeks anything external for the sake of the thing, but only as a means of happiness or good: particular affections rest in the external things themselves.

Joseph Butler

Mean, Self, Principles

Joseph Butler, Stephen L. Darwall (1983). “Five Sermons, Preached at the Rolls Chapel and A Dissertation Upon the Nature of Virtue”, p.47, Hackett Publishing

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Love of our neighbour, then, has just the same respect to, is no more distant from, self-love, than hatred of our neighbour, or than love or hatred of anything else.

Joseph Butler

Self, Self Love, Hatred

Joseph Butler (2012). “Five Sermons”, p.31, Simon and Schuster

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Men are impatient, and for precipitating things; but the Author of Nature appears deliberate throughout His operations, accomplishing His natural ends by slow, successive steps. And there is a plan of things beforehand laid out, which, from the nature of it, requires various systems of means, as well as length of time, in order to the carrying on its several parts into execution.

Joseph Butler

Nature, Mean, Science

Joseph Butler (1798). “The Analogy of Religion: Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature. To which are Added, Two Brief Dissertations: I. On Personal Identity. II. On the Nature of Virtue. Together with a Charge Delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Durham, ... in the Year MDCCLI. By Joseph Butler, ... A New Edition, Corrected. With a Preface, ... by Samuel Halifax, ...”, p.228

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Born: May 18, 1692
Died: June 16, 1752
Occupation: Philosopher
Cite this Page: Citation

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