Posterity for the philosopher is what the other world is for the religious man. Denis Diderot More Quotes by Denis Diderot More Quotes From Denis Diderot Anyone who takes it upon himself, on his private authority, to break a bad law, thereby authorizes everyone else to break the good ones. Denis Diderot breakauthoritylaw 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 wallviewsreligion Justice is the first virtue of those who command, and stops the complaints of those who obey. Denis Diderot literaturejusticefirsts My friend, you should blow out your candle in order to find your way more clearly. Denis Diderot bloworderway This root [the potato], no matter how much you prepare it, is tasteless and floury. It cannot pass for an agreeable food, but it supplies a food sufficiently abundant and sufficiently healthy for men who ask only to sustain themselves. The potato is criticized with reason for being windy, but what matters windiness for the vigorous organisms of peasants and laborers? Denis Diderot vegetablesrootsmen The world is the house of the strong. Denis Diderot gamblingstronghouse What has not been examined impartially has not been well examined. Skepticism is therefore the first step towards truth. Denis Diderot stepsphilosophyfirsts In order to get as much fame as one's father one has to much more able than he. Denis Diderot ableorderfather The fact is that she was terribly undressed and I was extremely undressed too. The fact is that I still had my hand where she didn't have anything and she had hers where the same wasn't quite true of me. The fact is that I found myself underneath her and consequently she found herself on top of me. Denis Diderot foundhandsfacts People praise virtue, but they hate it, they run away from it. It freezes you to death, and in this world you've got to keep your feet warm. Denis Diderot haterunningdeath Pithy sentences are like sharp nails which force truth upon our memory. Denis Diderot nailsliteraturememories If a misplaced admiration shows imbecility, an affected criticism shows vice of character. Expose thyself rather to appear a beast than false. Denis Diderot vicescriticismcharacter L'homme est ne pour la socie te ; se parez-le, isolez-le, ses ide es se de suniront, son caracte' re se tournera, mille affections ridicules s'e le' veront dans son coeur; des 274 pense es extravagantes germeront dans son esprit, comme les ronces dans une terre sauvage. Man is born to live in society: separate him, isolate him, and his ideas disintegrate, his character changes, a thousand ridiculous affectations rise up in his heart; extreme thoughts take hold in his mind, like the brambles in a wild field. Denis Diderot heartcharacterson Tous les jours on couche avec des femmes qu'on n'aime pas, et l'on ne couche pas avec des femmes qu'on aime. Every day we sleep with women we do not love and don't sleep with the women we do love. Denis Diderot femmesleep En ge ne ral, plus un peuple est civilise , poli, moins ses moeurs sont poe tiques; tout s'affaiblit en s'adoucissant. Ingeneral, themore civilized and refinedthepeople, the less poetic are its morals; everything weakens as it mellows. Denis Diderot poeticplusmoral Jacques said that his master said that everything good or evil we encounter here below was written on high. Denis Diderot encountersmastersevil Good music is very close to primitive language. Denis Diderot music-islanguageliterature Le public ne sait pas toujours de sirer le vrai. Thepublicdoesnot alwaysknowhow todesirethetruth. Denis Diderot Il ne faut point donner d'esprit a' ses personnages; mais savoir les placer dans des circonstances qui leur en donnent. You should not give wit to your characters, but know instead how to put them in situations which will make them witty. Denis Diderot wittygivingcharacter When one compares the talents one has with those of a Leibniz , one is tempted to throw away one's books and go die quietly in the dark of some forgotten corner. Denis Diderot talentdarkbook
