Enlightenment Thinkers Quotes

Clearly, Enlightenment thinkers were seeking a God substitute.

Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.

As people are walking all the time, in the same spot, a path appears.

The true Enlightenment thinker, the true rationalist, never wants to talk anyone into anything. No, he does not even want to convince; all the time he is aware that he may be wrong. Above all, he values the intellectual independence of others too highly to want to convince them in important matters. He would much rather invite contradiction, preferably in the form of rational and disciplined criticism. He seeks not to convince but to arouse - to challenge others to form free opinions.

Common sense is not so common.

By any reasonable measure of achievement, the faith of the Enlightenment thinkers in science was justified. Today the greatest divide within humanity is not between races, or religions, or even, as is widely believed, between the literate and illiterate. It is the chasm that separates scientific from prescientific cultures.

I have chosen to be happy because it is goo for my health.

If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him.

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

We who don't want radical Islam to spread must compete with the agents of radical Islam. I want to see what would happen if Christians, feminists and Enlightenment thinkers were to start proselytizing in the Muslim community.

All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.

By any reasonable measure of achievement, the faith of the Enlightenment thinkers in science was justified.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.