Can you explain the meaning of this sentence?

[Julie4]

I'm reading a book by Benjamin Constant, a 19th century author, at one point there's this sentence which I'm not sure I completely understand. For many it will surely seem easy to understand. Forgive my ignorance

"Everything is moral in the individual, but everything is physical in the masses".

[RavVid]

I would take it as meaning for a person decision making is this right or wrong. Physical in the masses? I interpret that as politics but 19th century people used different turns of phrase. So I am unconvinced that it is easy to understand.

Overall I would take it to be a course of action would appear to be right or wrong to a person but at the societal level than the cost might be too much or there may be to much risk to security.

That is the best I can make of it.

[AviatorTom]

There are many ways to interpret that sentence, which is what philosophers are good at... being ambiguous.

I interpret it to mean that an individual determines what is or isn't moral for them, not society as a whole. Put more simply, do what you believe is right, not what someone tells you is right.

[Anemone978]

I was thinking it meant you do things based on your morals and beliefs because you are alone, but in masses you don't have to care about anything and can just be a violent mob.
But I looked it up and I was close sort of... someone wrote "everything is moral in individuals, but everything is physical in crowds; everybody is free as individual, but a cog in a machine in a crowd."

[anon1903]

Precisely

[ProbablyClueless]

The way I read that line is that he's saying the actions a single person does are dependent on their personal ethics, while the actions of a group of people are made because the rest of the group is doing it.

For example: a single person chooses to run because they want to exercise, but a group of people run because they are fleeing whatever danger the other members of the group are running from.

[SawerBrown]

It means you have to make moral decisions but the masses don't always fo thst

[Andres77]

There’s what you’ll believe and there’s what you’ll do. Hawthorne effect.

[LiamJHayden]

Everybody is free as individual, but a cog in a machine in a crowd.

[purplepoppy]

Never underestimate the power of mass stupidity.

[exitseven]

He is referring to the mob mentality.

[KostasKouvalis]

WHAT? That makes absolutely no sense to me

[BLP11520]

A little deep for me right now