Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Lev Shestov

Quote by Lev Shestov

“But it will be asked: What is the force and power of the blessings and curses of men, even if these men be such giants as Plato and Aristotle? Does truth become more true because Aristotle blesses it, or does it become error because Plato curses it? Is it given men to judge the truths, to decide the fate of the truths? On the contrary, it is the truths which judge men and decide their fate and not men who rule over the truths. Men, the great as well as the small, are born and die, appear and disappear - but the truth remains. When no one had as yet begun to "think" or to "search," the truths which later revealed themselves to men already existed. And when men will have finally disappeared from the face of the earth, or will have lost the faculty of thinking, the truths will not suffer therefrom.”

Quote by Lev Shestov

Work

Athens and Jerusalem

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Lev Shestov
Lev Shestov

Lev Shestov (February 13, 1866 - November 19, 1938) was a prominent Russian philosopher of the 20th century, known for his profound contributions to existentialism and religious philosophy. more

You May Also Like

“Living the good life as created beings depends on living within the limits and according to the truths of the human condition. Purity of heart and the capacity to channel desires toward personal self-mastery in holiness are part of the high calling of the Christian life. These remain necessities, despite the promises of a false humanism that claims that human nature has neither limits nor boundaries, being infinitely plastic and malleable -- a vain and counterproductive attempt to liberate humans from guilt.”

“[Obituary of atheist philosopher Richard Robinson] An Atheist's Values is one of the best short accounts of liberalism (a term Robinson accepted) and humanism (a term he ignored) produced during the present century, all the more powerful for its lucidity and moderation, its wit and wisdom. It may now seem old-fashioned, but during those confused alarms of struggle and fight between the ignorant armies of left and right, thousands of readers must have taken inspiration from Richard Robinson's rational defence of rationalism. It is a pity that it is now out of print, when there is still so much nonsense and so little sense in the world.”

“MEMED'E SON MEKTUBUMDUR ... Ölmekten, oğlum korkmuyorum, ama ne de olsa iş arasında bazan, irkilip ansızın, yahut yalnızlığında uyku öncesinin günleri saymak biraz zor. Dünyaya doymak olmuyor, Memet doymak olmuyor... Dünyada kiracı gibi değil, yazlığına gelmiş gibi de değil, yaşa dünyada babanın eviymiş gibi... Tohuma, toprağa, denize inan, insana hepsinden önce. Bulutu, makinayı, kitabı sev, insanı hepsinden önce. Kuruyan dalın sönen yıldızın sakat hayvanın duy kederini, ama hepsinden önce de insanın. Sevindirsin seni cümlesi nimetlerin sevindirsin seni karanlık ve aydınlık, sevindirsin seni dört mevsim, ama hepsinden önce insan sevindirsin seni. ...”