Literary notes about Depravity (AI summary)
In literature, “depravity” is deployed as a powerful indicator of moral decay and corruption that permeates both individual characters and entire societies. Authors invoke the term to signal an intrinsic flaw in human nature—as in reflections on innate moral corruption or the degradation wrought by external circumstances [1, 2, 3, 4]—while others use it to condemn acts of cruelty, callousness, or unchecked vice [5, 6, 7]. The word also appears in contexts that blur the line between inhuman behavior and the natural order, at times even lending an ironic twist by attributing corrupt qualities to unexpected subjects [8]. This multifaceted use, ranging from expressions of personal guilt to broader social condemnations, underscores how depravity becomes a versatile emblem for dissecting the ethical backdrops of human experience [9, 10, 11].
- It shows a mind so depraved as to be unconscious of its depravity.
— from The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 01, No. 05, March, 1858 A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics by Various - Yes. SOCRATES: Then injustice and intemperance, and in general the depravity of the soul, are the greatest of evils? POLUS: That is evident.
— from Gorgias by Plato - " Theologians call it "inbred sin" or "original depravity"; the Bible terms it the "old man," "the old leaven," "the root of bitterness," etc.
— from The Heart-Cry of Jesus by Byron J. Rees - He seems to have discovered from his earliest years an innate depravity of mind, which was undoubtedly much increased by defect of education.
— from The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Complete by Suetonius - I hate Otto with all my Roman heart; with all my soul do I hate that boy whose lofty aims shame our depravity.
— from The Sorceress of Rome by Nathan Gallizier - The judge on passing sentence commented feelingly upon the depravity and callousness of the young prisoner.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad - Such men are not satisfied with the pursuit of comfort; they require sumptuous depravity and splendid corruption.
— from Democracy in America — Volume 2 by Alexis de Tocqueville - “It is when my umbrella turns inside out that I am convinced of the total depravity of inanimate things,” she said gaily.
— from Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery - It implies a depravity far greater than the rigorous execution of a barbarous customary law against prisoners of war or rebels, even in large numbers.
— from History of Greece, Volume 06 (of 12) by George Grote - No European spring had shown him the same intermixture of delicate grace and passionate depravity that marked the Maryland May.
— from The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams - All their faces, even in this guard of honour, showed a mixture of childishness and depravity.
— from The Trial by Franz Kafka
