Every society rests in the last resort on the recognition of common principles and common ideals, and if it makes no moral or spiritual appeal to the loyalty of its members, it must inevitably fall to pieces.
Christopher DawsonRead
We have built a thousand temples to Fortune and not one to Reason
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that people often worship luck and chance instead of valuing reason and rational thinking.
Marcus Cornelius Fronto's quote emphasizes the tendency of humans to prioritize fortune and luck over logical reasoning and wisdom. By stating that many temples have been built to Fortune, he critiques society's inclination towards attributing success to chance rather than understanding and utilizing reason as a guiding principle in life. This highlights a fundamental flaw in human nature where superficial factors are revered more than the deeper, more sensible aspects of existence.
Themes
FortuneReasonPhilosophyWisdomLuck
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is a great addition to a discussion about the importance of rational decision-making.
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