Joseph Butler quotes

Joseph Butler was an English clergyman, theologian, and philosopher, highly regarded for his works on ethics and religion. His influential book "The Analogy of Religion" addressed moral and spiritual questions of his time. He remains a significant figure in the history of Christian thought and moral philosophy. Here are 27 of his quotes:

Happiness does not consist in self-love. (Joseph Butler)
But to us, probability is the very guide of life. View quote
Joseph Butler
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. View quote
Joseph Butler
Thus self-love as one part of human nature, and the several particular principles as the other part, are, themselves, their objects and ends, stated and shown. View quote
Joseph Butler
People might love themselves with the most entire and unbounded affection, and yet be extremely miserable. View quote
Joseph Butler
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? View quote
Joseph Butler
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. View quote
Joseph Butler
Every man hath a general desire of his own happiness; and likewise a variety of particular affections, passions, and appetites to particular external objects. View quote
Joseph Butler
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. View quote
Joseph Butler
Thus there is no doubt the eye was intended for us to see with. View quote
Joseph Butler
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)
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. View quote
Joseph Butler
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. View quote
Joseph Butler
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. View quote
Joseph Butler
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. View quote
Joseph Butler
There is a much more exact correspondence between the natural and moral world than we are apt to take notice of. View quote
Joseph Butler
Man may act according to that principle or inclination which for the present happens to be strongest, and yet act in a way disproportionate to, and violate his real proper nature. View quote
Joseph Butler
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. View quote
Joseph Butler
Every one of our passions and affections hath its natural stint and bound, which may easily be exceeded; whereas our enjoyments can possibly be but in a determinate measure and degree. View quote
Joseph Butler
The private interest of the individual would not be sufficiently provided for by reasonable and cool self-love alone; therefore the appetites and passions are placed within as a guard and further security, without which it would not be taken due care of. View quote
Joseph Butler
The object of self-love is expressed in the term self; and every appetite of sense, and every particular affection of the heart, are equally interested or disinterested, because the objects of them all are equally self or somewhat else. (Joseph Butler)
Self-love then does not constitute THIS or THAT to be our interest or good; but, our interest or good being constituted by nature and supposed, self-love only puts us upon obtaining and securing it. View quote
Joseph Butler
The Epistles in the New Testament have all of them a particular reference to the condition and usages of the Christian world at the time they were written. View quote
Joseph Butler
Compassion is a call, a demand of nature, to relieve the unhappy as hunger is a natural call for food. View quote
Joseph Butler
The tongue may be employed about, and made to serve all the purposes of vice, in tempting and deceiving, in perjury and injustice. View quote
Joseph Butler

Joseph Butler

Joseph Butler - Image
Occupation: English Clergyman
Born: May 18, 1692
Died: June 16, 1752
Quotes count: 27