It is many times with a fraudulent Design that men stick their corrupt Doctrine with the Cloves of other mens Wit.
Interpretation
Hobbes warns against the deceitful influence of corrupt ideas disguised as wisdom from others.
In this quote, Thomas Hobbes critiques the tendency of individuals to spread their flawed beliefs by cloaking them in the appearance of wisdom borrowed from others. He suggests that this manipulation is often intentional and serves a fraudulent purpose, undermining genuine understanding and dialogue.
In practice
In a discussion about misinformation and propaganda, this quote illustrates how corruption can mask itself in borrowed credibility.
Baptism is the sacrament of allegiance of them that are to be received into the Kingdom of God, that is to say, into Eternal life, that is to say, to Remission of Sin. For as Eternal life was lost by the committing, so it is recovered by the remitting of men's sins.
Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues.
For it is not the shape, but their use, that makes them angels.
For to accuse requires less eloquence, such is man's nature, than to excuse; and condemnation, than absolution, more resembles justice.
Scientia potentia est, sed parva; quia scientia egregia rara est, nec proinde apparens nisi paucissimis, et in paucis rebus. Scientiae enim ea natura est, ut esse intelligi non possit, nisi ab illis qui sunt scientia praediti.
The end of knowledge is power ... the scope of all speculation is the performing of some action or thing to be done.
If in a discussion of many matters ... we are not able to give perfectly exact and self-consistent accounts, do not be surprised: rather we would be content if we provide accounts that are second to none in probability.
It is computed that eleven thousand persons have at several times suffered death rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end.
We are not a nation that says, 'Donβt ask, donβt tell.' We are a nation that says, 'Out of many, we are one.' We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot. We are a nation that believes that all men and women are created equal. Those are the ideals that generations have fought for. Those are the ideals that we upheld today.
It is more important to be free than to be happy.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types today don't understand that it's not important to maintain control if you are not in control in the first place.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.