Mary Midgley Quotes

33 Sourced Quotes

Neither ecological nor social engineering will lead us to a conflict-free, simple path... Utilitarians and others who simply advise us to be happy are unhelpful, because we almost always have to make a choice either between different kinds of happiness—different things to be happy _about_—or between these and other things we want, which nothing to do with happiness.

Mary Midgley

We must face unconsidered possibilities and ask ourselves alarming questions–for instance, must we perhaps let the self-destroyer go if he really wants to? Trying to answer this by collecting information about our own neurones would be no more use than doing it, like the Roman augur, by inspecting the entrails of a goat.

Mary Midgley

The issue is not between bad guys who use and "adversary" approach and good guys who are scientific and impartial... Everybody, including himself is partial in the sense of starting somewhere, of selecting something for emphasis. The fatal thing is not this. It is being confused about ones reasons for doing so. Particular insights and principles of inquiry must be set in the context of other possible alternatives.

Mary Midgley

Mary Midgley

Mary Midgley

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Born: September 13, 1919

Died: October 10, 2018 (aged 99)

Bio: Mary Beatrice Midgley was an English moral philosopher. She was a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Newcastle University and is known for her work on science, ethics and animal rights.

Known for:

Beast and Man: The Roots of Human Nature (1978)
Are You an Illusion? (2014)
The Myths We Live By (2003)
Animals and why They Matter (1983)
Evolution as a religion (1985)

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Mary Midgley on Wikipedia

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