Literary notes about humane (AI summary)
In literature, “humane” is employed not only as a descriptor of kindness and compassion but also as a critical term that illuminates moral nuances within society. Authors assign the term to characters and institutions that exemplify benevolence and ethical conduct, whether by highlighting gentle personal traits ([1],[2]) or by contrasting the fair with the oppressive in political and judicial contexts ([3],[4]). At times, the word takes on an ironic tone—revealing contradictions in human behavior or the dark underbelly of supposedly compassionate actions ([5],[6]). In this way, “humane” operates as a multifaceted concept, serving both as an ideal of moral virtue and as a tool for scrutinizing the complexities and inconsistencies of human nature.
- There never was a more delicate man than Dodson, ma’am, or a more humane man than Fogg.
— from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens - ,’ said the humane Mr. Pickwick, summoning the landlady.
— from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens - There is therefore no such Inconsistence of Humane Nature, with Civill Duties, as some think.
— from Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes - The first, and most generall distribution of Punishments, is into Divine, and Humane.
— from Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes - “That is honourable, I mean to say, it’s humane!
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - If he's honest, he'll steal; if he's humane, he'll murder; if he's faithful, he'll deceive.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
