Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
VoltaireRead
If God did not exist, He would have to be invented. But all nature cries aloud that he does exist: that there is a supreme intelligence, an immense power, an admirable order, and everything teaches us our own dependence on it.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that the belief in God is an inherent part of human nature and the order of the universe.
Voltaire's quote reflects on the necessity of the concept of God in human understanding and society. He articulates that even if God did not exist in reality, humanity would feel compelled to create this concept to make sense of the intelligence and order present in nature. The quote further emphasizes that the natural world reveals a higher power and intelligence, asserting humanity's reliance on this greater force.
In practice
During a philosophical discussion on the existence of God, this quote could serve to illustrate the human inclination towards belief.
Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead.
It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.
It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.
I intend to leave after my death a large fund for the promotion of the peace idea, but I am skeptical as to its results.
Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared.
She was without any power, because she was without any desire of command over herself.
Who are we, if not measured by our impact on others? That’s who we are! We’re not who we say we are, we’re not who we want to be - we are the sum of the influence and impact that we have, in our lives, on others.
It is rational to believe, as it is our very existence that is at stake.
I have been brought up open-minded. If I didn't know any people from other countries, I'd think everyone was evil based on news stories. But I know a lot of people, and know that there is no such thing as stark good and evil. Isn't it possible there is the same amount of evil everywhere?
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