Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
VoltaireRead
So it is the human condition that to wish for the greatness of one's fatherland is to wish evil to one's neighbors. The citizen of the universe would be the man who wishes his country never to be either greater or smaller, richer or poorer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the conflict between patriotism and global humanity, suggesting that one's desire for their own country’s superiority often harms others.
Voltaire's quote delves into the paradox of national pride, asserting that the wish for one's homeland to be exceptional inherently leads to a desire for the detriment of neighboring nations. It suggests that a truer virtue lies in promoting a shared global existence rather than competitive nationalism, advocating for a perspective that respects and values all nations equally.
Themes
PatriotismHumanityNationalismPhilosophyCitizenship
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about global unity, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of looking beyond borders.
More from Voltaire
All quotes →He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead.
VoltaireRead
It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
VoltaireRead
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
VoltaireRead
We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.
VoltaireRead
It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.
VoltaireRead
Similar quotes
It is clear that there is some difference between ends: some ends are energeia [energy], while others are products which are additional to the energeia.
AristotleRead
It is not a mark of manhood to carelessly use the name of the Almighty or of His Beloved Son in a vain and flippant way, as many are prone to do.
Gordon B. HinckleyRead
The more important the subject and the closer it cuts to the bone of our hopes and needs, the more we are likely to err in establishing a framework for analysis.
Stephen Jay GouldRead
As I lay on my back in bed staring up at the blank, white ceiling the stillness seemed to grow bigger and bigger until I felt my eardrums would burst with it.
Sylvia PlathRead
The purpose that you wish to find in life, like a cure you seek, is not going to fall from the sky. ...I believe purpose is something for which one is responsible; it's not just divinely assigned.
Michael J. FoxRead
The wing of the Falcon brings to the king, the wing if the crow brings him to the cemetery.
Muhammad IqbalRead