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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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All Men Literature Ifs Atheism Positive Atheism Firsts Religion Order People Doe Giving Philosophy Reason Virtue World Steps Genius May Passion Should

Famous Denis Diderot Quotes

“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.”

“Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.”

“To attempt the destruction of our passions is the height of folly. What a noble aim is that of the zealot who tortures himself like a madman in order to desire nothing, love nothing, feel nothing, and who, if he succeeded, would end up a complete monster!”

Ifs Love Feels Ends Desire Religion Order Passion Destruction Aim Noble Monsters Height Torture Folly Madmen Asceticism Zealot

Book:Selected Writings

Source: Selected Writings

“There is only one passion, the passion for happiness.”

Inspirational Happiness Passion Happy Happiness And Love Strong Passion

Book:Selected Writings

Source: Selected Writings

“We are constantly railing against the passions; we ascribe to them all of man's afflictions, and we forget that they are also the source of all his pleasures.”

Men Suffering Passion Literature Forget Pleasure Source

Author:Denis Diderot

“Only passions, and great passions, can raise the soul to great things. Without them there is no sublimity, either in morals or in creativity. Art returns to infancy, and virtue becomes small-minded.”

Art Soul Passion Moral Creativity Virtue Return Raises Great Things Infancy Great Passion Sublimity

Author:Denis Diderot

“If your little savage were left to himself and be allowed to retain all his ignorance, he would in time join the infant's reasoning to the grown man's passion, he would strangle his father and sleep with his mother.”

Ifs Men Littles Mother Passion Father Left Sleep Ignorance Reasoning Savages Infant Grown Man

Author:Denis Diderot

“Passions destroy more prejudices than philosophy does.”

Doe Philosophy Passion Prejudice

Book:Selected writings on art and literature

Source: Selected writings on art and literature