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About this quote

What does it mean?
Fanaticism leads directly to barbarism with no significant gap between them.
In plain terms
Extreme belief quickly leads to cruelty.
What can you take from it?
Watch out for extreme beliefs as they lead to harm.

Where it applies

  • political conflict
  • religious extremism
  • social critique

Putting it to work

  • monitor extremism
  • promote tolerance
  • prevent violence

Questions to consider

  • How does belief become violence?
  • Where is the line?

Another view

Sometimes there are steps between belief and action.

More from Denis Diderot

  1. If you want me to believe in God, you must make me touch him.

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  2. What is this world of ours? A complex entity subject to sudden changes which all indicate a tendency to destruction; a swift succession of beings which follow …

    Permalink to quote #3
  3. Only a very bad theologian would confuse the certainty that follows revelation with the truths that are revealed. They are entirely different things.

    Permalink to quote #4

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