Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not. People complain of the despotism of princes; they ought to complain of the despotism of man.
Joseph De MaistreRead
No philosopher understands his predecessors until he has re-thought their thought in his own contemporary terms.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding past philosophers requires reinterpreting their ideas in a modern context.
This quote emphasizes the importance of not just learning from philosophers of the past, but actively engaging with their thoughts and ideas by re-examining them through the lens of contemporary understanding. It suggests that to truly grasp their contributions, one must translate their philosophies into terms and concepts that resonate with today's society and intellectual landscape.
Themes
PhilosophyUnderstandingReinterpretationThoughtContemporary
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on modern philosophy, a professor used this quote to stress the importance of contextualizing historical thinkers.
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