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Denis Diderot Quotes

Philosopher

Denis Diderot was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer who played a pivotal role in the Enlightenment. He is best known for his work on the Encyclopédie, which aimed to compile all the knowledge of the time into a single work.

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Famous Denis Diderot Quotes

“Gentleness and peacefulness regulate our proceedings; theirs are dictated by fury. We employ reason, they accumulate faggots. They preach nothing but love, and breathe nothing but blood. Their words are humane, but their hearts are cruel.”

Heart Reason Blood Atheism Positive Atheism Breathe Gentleness Humane Fury Proceeding Peacefulness

Author:Denis Diderot

“They mistake the first manifestations of a developing sexual nature for the voice of God calling them to Himself; and it is precisely when nature is inciting them that they embrace a fashion of life contrary to nature's wish.”

Firsts Wish Voice Mistake Atheism Fashion Calling Embrace Contrary Developing Manifestation Voice Of God

Author:Denis Diderot

“There comes a moment during which almost every girl or boy falls into melancholy; they are tormented by a vague inquietude which rests on everything and finds nothing to calm it. They seek solitude; they weep; the silence to be found in cloister attracts them: the image of peace that seems to reign in religious houses seduces them. They mistake the first manifestations of a developing sexual nature for the voice of God calling them to Himself; and it is precisely when nature is inciting them that they embrace a fashion of life contrary to nature's wish.”

“At an early age I sucked up the milk of Homer, Virgil, Horace, Terence, Anacreon, Plato and Euripides, diluted with that of Moses and the prophets.”

Age Atheism Positive Atheism Prophet Milk Plato Moses

Author:Denis Diderot

“But if you will recall the history of our civil troubles, you will see half the nation bathe itself, out of piety, in the blood of the other half, and violate the fundamental feelings of humanity in order to sustain the cause of God: as though it were necessary to cease to be a man in order to prove oneself religious!”

Ifs Men Feelings Humanity Order Nations Causes Religious Half Trouble Blood Atheism Prove Fundamentals Oneself Positive Atheism Cease Recalls Be A Man Piety Other Half

Author:Denis Diderot

“If there were a reason for preferring the Christian religion to natural religion, it would be because the former offers us, on the nature of God and man, enlightenment that the latter lacks. Now, this is not at all the case; for Christianity, instead of clarifying, gives rise to an infinite multitude of obscurities and difficulties.”

Ifs Men Giving Reason Would Be Christian Natural Christianity Cases Atheism Offers Enlightenment Difficulty Infinite Positive Atheism Former Latter Multitudes Obscurity Clarifying

Author:Denis Diderot

“One must be oneself very little of a philosopher not to feel that the finest privilege of our reason consists in not believing in anything by the impulsion of a blind and mechanical instinct, and that it is to dishonour reason to put it in bonds as the Chaldeans did. Man is born to think for himself.”

Thinking Men Feels Believe Littles Reason Born Atheism Blind Instinct Privilege Oneself Philosopher Positive Atheism Finest Dishonour

Author:Denis Diderot

“I am more affected by the attractions of virtue than by the deformities of vice; I turn gently away from the wicked and I fly to meet the good. If there is in a literary work, in a character, in a picture, in a statue, a beautiful spot, that is where my eyes rest; I see only that, I remember only that, all the rest is well-nigh forgotten. What becomes of me when the whole work is beautiful!”

Ifs Wells Whole Character Eye Beautiful Remember Turns Virtue Atheism Forgotten Vices Positive Atheism Attraction Spots Wicked Affected Statues Deformity Literary Works

Author:Denis Diderot

“It seems to me that if one had kept silence up to now regarding religion, people would still be submerged in the most grotesque and dangerous superstition ... regarding government, we would still be groaning under the bonds of feudal government ... regarding morals, we would still be having to learn what is virtue and what is vice. To forbid all these discussions, the only ones worthy of occupying a good mind, is to perpetuate the reign of ignorance and barbarism.”

“Which is the greater merit, to enlighten the human race, which remains forever, or to save one's fatherland, which is perishable?”

Humans Race Forever Greater Atheism Remains Positive Atheism Human Race Merit Enlightening Fatherland

Author:Denis Diderot

“The good of the people must be the great purpose of government. By the laws of nature and of reason, the governors are invested with power to that end. And the greatest good of the people is liberty. It is to the state what health is to the individual.”

People Ends States Reason Government Law Purpose Individual Liberty Atheism Positive Atheism Governors Laws Of Nature Purpose Of Government

Author:Denis Diderot

“It is raining bombs on the house of the Lord. I go in fear and trembling lest one of these terrible bombers gets into difficulties.”

House Lord Atheism Terrible Rain Difficulty Positive Atheism Bombs Trembling Bombers

Author:Denis Diderot

“We are a free people; and now you have planted in our country the title deeds of our future slavery. You are neither god nor demon; who are you, then, to make slaves? Orou! You understand the language of these men, tell us all, as you have told me, what they have written on this sheet of metal: This country is ours. This country yours? And why? Because you have walked thereon? If a Tahitian landed one day on your shores, and scratched on one of your rocks or on the bark of your trees: This country belongs to the people of Tahiti - what would you think?”

People Ifs Thinking Men Country Language Written Tree Atheism Rocks One Day Slavery Slave Deeds Positive Atheism Our Country Titles Demon Shore Our Future Metals Sheets Bark Tahiti

Author:Denis Diderot

“There is only one virtue, justice; only one duty, to be happy; only one corollary, not to overvalue life and not to fear death.”

Justice Virtue Atheism Duty Positive Atheism Fear Of Death

Author:Denis Diderot

“The most dangerous madmen are those created by religion, and people whose aim is to disrupt society always know how to make good use of them on occasion.”

People Knows Use Religion Know How Atheism Dangerous Aim Occasions Fanatics Fanaticism Madmen

Author:Denis Diderot

“Superstition is more injurious to God than atheism.”

Atheism Positive Atheism Superstitions

Author:Denis Diderot

“If you want me to believe in God, you must make me touch him.”

Ifs Want Believe Literature Atheism Believe In God Want Me You Want Me If You Want Me

Book:Thoughts on the interpretation of nature: and other philosophical works

Source: Thoughts on the interpretation of nature: and other philosophical works

“To be born in imbecility, in the midst of pain and crisis; to be the plaything of ignorance, error, need, sickness, wickedness, and passions; to return step by step to imbecility, from the time of lisping to that of doting; to live among knaves and charlatans of all kinds; to die between one man who takes your pulse and another who troubles your head; never to know where you come from, why you come and where you are going! That is what is called the most important gift of our parents and nature. Life.”

“Scepticism is the first step towards truth.”

Firsts Religion Steps Atheism First Steps Scepticism

Author:Denis Diderot

“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.”

“The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.”

Spiritual Science Religion Atheism Atheist Philosopher Priests Agnostic

Author:Denis Diderot