The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame.
Interpretation
Everyone has private thoughts that encompass a wide range of subjects, free from judgment.
This quote by Thomas Hobbes suggests that a person's internal thoughts can traverse across numerous topics, whether they are sacred or sinful, serious or trivial. It highlights the complexity of human thought, emphasizing that our minds are capable of contemplating all facets of existence without the constraints of societal judgment or moral accountability.
In practice
In a philosophical debate about the nature of human thought.
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.
They believe themselves Lucifer's equals, Cain, all these pitiful little gnats. But there is only one that we have ever owned to be our superior. There is but one greater than us, and to him... to him we no longer speak.
All our scientific and philosophic ideals are altars to unknown gods.
Let the world move along as it pleased. If it had any business with him, it would be sure to tell him.
Understand that thoughts are thoughts. If they are unreasonable, reason with them, even if you have no reason left. You are the observer of your mind, not its victim.
The role of the intellectual cannot be to excuse the violence of one side and condemn that of the other.
The opposite of every truth is just as true.
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