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All men in their hearts, I say, bear witness to these truths; they need only to be made to understand it.
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
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Interpretation

What this quote means

People inherently know certain truths, but they must be helped to recognize and understand them.

In this quote, Proudhon suggests that deep within every individual lies an awareness of fundamental truths. However, this awareness is often obscured by ignorance or misunderstanding, and it is through guidance and enlightenment that individuals can come to fully comprehend these truths, leading to greater insight and wisdom.

Themes

TruthsUnderstandingKnowledgeEnlightenmentWisdom

In practice

Example use cases

During a philosophical debate on the nature of truth, this quote could be used to emphasize the idea that people may already know the truths being discussed.

More from Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by the weak.
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I build no system. I ask an end to privilege, the abolition of slavery, equality of rights, and the reign of law. Justice, nothing else; that is the alpha and omega of my argument: to others I leave the business of governing the world.
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A common danger tends to concord. Communism is the exploitation of the strong by the weak. In Communism, inequality comes from placing mediocrity on a level with excellence.
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To name a thing is easy: the difficulty is to discern it before its appearance.
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As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks order in anarchy.
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The possessions of the rich are stolen property.
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