“The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.”
Great
“Power acquired by violence is only a usurpation, and lasts only as long as the force of him who commands prevails over that of those who obey.”
PowerAll Quotes by Denis Diderot
“Patriotism is an ephemeral motive that scarcely ever outlasts the particular threat to society that aroused it.”
Patriotism“The general interest of the masses might take the place of the insight of genius if it were allowed freedom of action.”
Freedom“Morals are in all countries the result of legislation and government they are not African or Asian or European: they are good or bad.”
Government“No man has received from nature the right to command his fellow human beings.”
Nature“The possibility of divorce renders both marriage partners stricter in their observance of the duties they owe to each other. Divorces help to improve morals and to increase the population.”
Marriage“When superstition is allowed to perform the task of old age in dulling the human temperament, we can say goodbye to all excellence in poetry, in painting, and in music.”
Age“There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge... observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts reflection combines them experimentation verifies the result of that combination.”
Knowledge“Although a man may wear fine clothing, if he lives peacefully and is good, self-possessed, has faith and is pure and if he does not hurt any living being, he is a holy man.”
Faith“Good music is very close to primitive language.”
Music“We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.”
Truth“It is not human nature we should accuse but the despicable conventions that pervert it.”
Nature“Pithy sentences are like sharp nails which force truth upon our memory.”
Truth“There are things I can't force. I must adjust. There are times when the greatest change needed is a change of my viewpoint.”
Change“Power acquired by violence is only a usurpation, and lasts only as long as the force of him who commands prevails over that of those who obey.”
Power“When science, art, literature, and philosophy are simply the manifestation of personality they are on a level where glorious and dazzling achievements are possible, which can make a man's name live for thousands of years.”
Art“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.”
Age“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.”
Nature“There is only one passion, the passion for happiness.”
Happiness“Only passions, great passions can elevate the soul to great things.”
Great