Quote of the Day: On Morals and Interests

Much of the news that is disseminated through various media today refers to issues in terms of morality.  How is the reader or listener to react when one invokes morality? Is “morality” an absolute? Does one side have a monopoly on morality?  It is referred to in all issues, domestic, international, commercial, personal and inter-personal.  Politicians, professors, students, theologians, demonstrators, activists, even criminals feel free to invoke morality in defense of their positions or actions. Everyone is an expert and has an opinion. So what is one to do?

Attention should be paid to the following quote from the famous autobiography “The Education of Henry Adams”. (Modern Library edition, pp.335-336)

      “Masses of men invariably follow interests in deciding morality. Morality is a private

       and costly luxury. …

      Until a Council or a Pope or a Congress or the newspapers or a popular election has

      decided a question of doubtful morality, individuals are apt to err, especially when

      putting money into their own pockets; but in democracies, the majority alone gives law.”

It is advisable for the public to ignore the pontificating of various loudmouths who claim to

have special knowledge or expertise.  Claims that capitalism is immoral, socialism is immoral, private property is theft, wage and wealth inequality is immoral, tax laws are immoral, wage laws are immoral, etc., etc. ad infinitum. The list is endless. The consumer of ideas, yes consumer, as ideas are in the marketplace and the consumer is the ultimate purchaser, must regard the source of every declaration; who proposes it and what is the interest of the proposer. And as Adams concludes: the majority alone gives law. That is the beauty of democracy, the worst system there is, but nothing better has ever been proposed. In a democracy, all are equal, and so are opinions. The consumer is king and must make his/her own decisions.

Garry S. Sklar

At sea in the Atlantic Ocean

November 17, 2025Q