Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot
Denis Diderotʁo]; 5 October 1713 – 31 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer. He was a prominent figure during the Enlightenment and is best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the Encyclopédie along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert...
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth5 October 1713
strong gambling house
The world is the house of the strong.
hurt men self
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.
christian children father
The God of the Christians is a father who makes much of his apples, and very little of his children.
gratitude inspirational-christmas burden
Gratitude is a burden, and every burden is made to be shaken off.
kings hands rope
His hands would plait the priest's guts, if he had no rope, to strangle kings.
fall may taste
Shakespeare's fault is not the greatest into which a poet may fall. It merely indicates a deficiency of taste.
love change time
The first promise exchanged by two beings of flesh was at the foot of a rock that was crumbling into dust; they took as witness for their constancy a sky that is not the same for a single instant; everything changed in them and around them, and they believed their hearts free of vicissitudes. O children! always children!
fiction easy tales
How easy it is to tell tales!
funny wise honesty
I discuss with myself questions of politics, love, taste, or philosophy. I let my mind rove wantonly, give it free rein to followany idea, wise or mad that may present itself.... My ideas are my harlots.
religion different revelations
Only a very bad theologian would confuse the certainty that follows revelation with the truths that are revealed. They are entirely different things.
patriotic patriotism ephemeral
Patriotism is an ephemeral motive that scarcely ever outlasts the particular threat to society that aroused it.
power long denial
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.
government law people
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.
creativity mean reflection
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.