Religion is not a matter of God, church, holy cause, etc. These are but accessories. The source of religious preoccupation is in the self, or rather the rejection of the self. Dedication is the obverse side of self-rejection. Man alone is a religious animal because, as Montaigne points out, "it is a malady confined to man, and not seen in any other creature, to hate and despise ourselves.".
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Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.
Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.
You think that a wall as solid as the earth separates civilization from barbarism. I tell you the division is read more
You think that a wall as solid as the earth separates civilization from barbarism. I tell you the division is a thread, a sheet of glass. A touch here, a push there, and you bring back the reign of Saturn.
Any good practical philosophy must start out with the recognition of our having a body.
Any good practical philosophy must start out with the recognition of our having a body.
Deeds of violence in our society are performed largely by those trying to establish their self-esteem, to defend their self-image, read more
Deeds of violence in our society are performed largely by those trying to establish their self-esteem, to defend their self-image, and to demonstrate that they, too, are significant.
Society is like a large piece of frozen water; and skating well
is the great art of social life.
Society is like a large piece of frozen water; and skating well
is the great art of social life.
The demands of unbounded individualism need to be weighed in the light of inherent social constraints which can only change read more
The demands of unbounded individualism need to be weighed in the light of inherent social constraints which can only change their form but cannot be eliminated without eliminating civilization.
A system in which the two great commandments were, to hate your
neighbour and to love your neighbour's wife.
A system in which the two great commandments were, to hate your
neighbour and to love your neighbour's wife.
There is a fundamental difference between the appeal of a mass movement and the appeal of a practical organization. The read more
There is a fundamental difference between the appeal of a mass movement and the appeal of a practical organization. The practical organization offers opportunities for self-advancement, and its appeal is mainly to self-interest. On the other hand, a mass movement, particularly in its active, revivalist phase, appeals not to those intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but to those who crave to be rid of an unwanted self. A mass movement attracts and holds a following not because it can satisfy the desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy the passion for self-renunciation.
Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed.
Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed.
