Denis Diderot Quotes
A deist is someone who has not lived long enough to be an atheist.
Denis Diderot, 1713-1784, French Philosopher, Quoted in Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, 2003
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Buckley was a very intelligent man who was very religious. It is ironic that while “conservatives” of the late 20th century tended to be religious conservatives, many of the conservative heroes were strongly anti-religious like Rand.
When the priest died, 3 handwritten manuscripts were found written and signed by him in which he attacked religion in general and the church and the Bible in particular. His Testament was read by Voltaire and Denis Diderot among others and he was very influential in their development as opponents of organized religion. This quotation has been one of the bases of secular humanism which would then develop after he had died.
Einstein’s religious views were very sophisticated and unusual. He was a deist—a believer in God. He was of Jewish background and like some Protestant sects, Jews can interpret scripture and the nature of God as individuals. They need not follow a particular doctrine. However Einstein had a very complex vision of God—as he described it, the “God of Spinoza”—a 17th century Rabbi and Philosopher whose views were so radical that his books were banned and he was excommunicated by the Rabbis of Holland, a rarity in Judaism. This view of God is not the human-related form but a view of God as an abstraction everpresent and a prime mover inherent in nature, the world and in humanity.
In an interview with a Norwegian magazine, the Eco stated that he had based his novel, “Foucault’s Pendulum”, on Chesterton’s epigram: “When men stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything.” See related quote.
Denis Diderot was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the Encyclopédie along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment.
