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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

“Evil always turns up in this world through some genius or other.”

World Turns Evil This World Genius Fame

Author:Denis Diderot

“I picture the vast realm of the sciences as an immense landscape scattered with patches of dark and light. The goal towards which we must work is either to extend the boundaries of the patches of light, or to increase their number. One of these tasks falls to the creative genius; the other requires a sort of sagacity combined with perfectionism.”

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

“Oh! how near are genius and madness! Men imprison them and chain them, or raise statues to them.”

Men Genius Madness Raises Chains Statues Genius And Madness

Author:Denis Diderot

“Our observation of nature must be diligent, our reflection profound, and our experiments exact. We rarely see these three means combined; and for this reason, creative geniuses are not common.”

Mean Reason Three Literature Common Creativity Creative Genius Reflection Experience Profound Experiments Observation Diligent Creative Genius

Book:The irresistible Diderot

Source: The irresistible Diderot

“The general interest of the masses might take the place of the insight of genius if it were allowed freedom of action.”

Ifs Might Action Interest Freedom Genius Mass Insight

Author:Denis Diderot

“Gaiety is a quality of ordinary men. Genius always presupposes some disorder in the machine.”

Men Happiness Literature Quality Genius Ordinary Machines Disorder Ordinary Man Gaiety

Book:Selected Writings

Source: Selected Writings

“Genius is present in every age, but the men carrying it within them remain benumbed unless extraordinary events occur to heat up and melt the mass so that it flows forth.”

Men Age Literature Events Genius Mass Flow Extraordinary Heat Artistic Genius Geniality

Book:Selected Writings

Source: Selected Writings

“Only God and some few rare geniuses can keep forging ahead into novelty.”

Genius Novelty Forging Forging Ahead

Book:Rameau's Nephew and Other Works

Source: Rameau's Nephew and Other Works