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There is only one virtue, justice; only one duty, to be happy; only one corollary, not to overvalue life and not to fear death.

Denis Diderot

Scepticism is the first step towards truth.
DENIS DIDEROT

Step Truth
Integrity is the evidence of all civil virtues.
DENIS DIDEROT

Evidence Integrity Virtue
What has not been examined impartially has not been well examined. Skepticism is therefore the first step towards truth.
DENIS DIDEROT

Impartial Path Step Truth
Mankind have banned the Divinity from their presence; they have relegated him to a sanctuary; the walls of the temple restrict his view; he does not exist outside of it.
DENIS DIDEROT

Anand Thakur
You risk just as much in being credulous as in being suspicious.
DENIS DIDEROT

Anand Thakur
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.
DENIS DIDEROT

Greatness Mindset Moral Passion Raise Small Soul
In order to get as much fame as one’s father one has to much more able than he.
DENIS DIDEROT

Fame Father Himself Order
Every man has his dignity. I’m willing to forget mine, but at my own discretion and not when someone else tells me to.
DENIS DIDEROT

Dignity Man Myself Willing
My ideas are my whores.
DENIS DIDEROT

Ideas One Liner Whore
Does anyone really know where they’re going to?
DENIS DIDEROT

Direction Journey Path
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.
DENIS DIDEROT

Himself Passion Pleasure Source
The general interest of the masses might take the place of the insight of genius if it were allowed freedom of action.
DENIS DIDEROT

Action Allow Freedom Genius Interest Place
To say that man is a compound of strength and weakness, light and darkness, smallness and greatness, is not to indict him, it is to define him.
DENIS DIDEROT

Definition Himself Man Strength Weakness
It is said that desire is a product of the will, but the converse is in fact true: will is a product of desire.
DENIS DIDEROT

Desire Fact Production True Willing
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.
DENIS DIDEROT

Creative Experiment Genius Nature Observation
First move me, astonish me, break my heart, let me tremble, weep, stare, be enraged-only then regale my eyes.
DENIS DIDEROT

Astonishment Eyes Move Myself

There is only one virtue, justice; only one duty, to be happy; only one corollary, not to overvalue life and not to fear death.

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There is only one virtue, justice; only one duty, to be happy; only one corollary, not to overvalue life and not to fear death.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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