Nature smiles at the union of freedom and equality in our utopias. For freedom and equality are sworn and everlasting enemies, and when one prevails the other dies.
Will DurantRead
The failure of the Reformation to capture France had left for Frenchmen no half-way house between infallibility and infidelity; and while the intellect of Germany and England moved leisurely in the lines of religious evolution, the mind of France leaped from the hot faith which had massacred the Huguenots to the cold hostility with which La Mettrie, Helvetius, Holbach, and Diderot turned upon the religion of the fathers.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the failure of the Reformation in France, leading to a stark divide between belief and skepticism.
Will Durant examines the consequences of the Reformation's inability to establish a moderate religious stance in France. As a result, French thinkers swiftly transitioned from fervent faith, which led to violent acts against the Huguenots, to a profound skepticism and critique of established religion, as seen in the works of Enlightenment philosophers who challenged traditional beliefs. This illustrates a significant shift in the intellectual landscape of France compared to Germany and England, where a gradual evolution in religious thought occurred.
Themes
ReformationFranceFaithSkepticismPhilosophyIntellectualReligion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a lecture about the impact of the Reformation on French intellectual history.
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