Quote by Hannah Arendt, On Revolution, ch
What makes it so plausible to assume that hypocrisy is the vice of vices is that integrity can indeed exist under the cover of all other vices except this one. Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to the core.
Summary
This quote suggests that hypocrisy is the worst of all vices because it is the only one that can disguise itself as virtue. While other immoral acts may make us confront the existence of evil, only the hypocrite is inwardly corrupt while outwardly appearing virtuous. The quote implies that integrity can be present even in individuals engaged in criminal behavior, but not in those who are hypocritical. Hypocrisy is condemned as being genuinely rotten to the core, as it involves a deliberate and deceptive masking of one's true nature.
Topics
Hypocrisy
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