Quote 16
"I like persons better than principles, and I like persons with no principles better than anything else in the world." (1.19)
Here, we see that Lord Henry's interests simply lie in being an observer of the world, and of humanity. He prefers to experiment with real people, rather than simply with words.
Quote 17
"There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray. All influence is immoral -- immoral from the scientific point of view."
"Why?"
"Because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtues are not real to him. His sins, if there are such things as sins, are borrowed. He becomes an echo of some one else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him. The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly -- that is what each of us is here for. People are afraid of themselves, nowadays. They have forgotten the highest of all duties, the duty that one owes to one's self. (2.8)
In Lord Henry's moral system, the only thing one must do is follow one's urges – or something. We're not entirely sure how much Henry really buys this self-centered philosophy, but it intrigues Dorian.
Quote 18
Lord Henry laughed. "I don't desire to change anything in England except the weather," he answered. "I am quite content with philosophic contemplation. But, as the nineteenth century has gone bankrupt through an over-expenditure of sympathy, I would suggest that we should appeal to science to put us straight. The advantage of the emotions is that they lead us astray, and the advantage of science is that it is not emotional." (3.12)
Here, Lord Henry addresses ethics for the first time. In his view, we should all be as emotionless and "scientific" as possible, which leaves very little room for altruism, sympathy, or human kindness.