They that approve a private opinion, call it opinion; but they that dislike it, heresy; and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion.
Interpretation
The quote discusses the subjective nature of opinions and how they are judged differently based on acceptance or rejection.
In this quote, Thomas Hobbes highlights the duality of opinions and the tendency of people to label prevailing beliefs as 'opinions' while rejecting opposing views as 'heresy'. This reflects the subjective nature of belief systems, suggesting that what is deemed a valid perspective by some can be dismissed as heretical by others, despite both being merely private opinions.
In practice
During a debate about free speech, this quote can illustrate how people respond differently to controversial opinions.
Baptism is the sacrament of allegiance of them that are to be received into the Kingdom of God, that is to say, into Eternal life, that is to say, to Remission of Sin. For as Eternal life was lost by the committing, so it is recovered by the remitting of men's sins.
Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues.
For it is not the shape, but their use, that makes them angels.
For to accuse requires less eloquence, such is man's nature, than to excuse; and condemnation, than absolution, more resembles justice.
Scientia potentia est, sed parva; quia scientia egregia rara est, nec proinde apparens nisi paucissimis, et in paucis rebus. Scientiae enim ea natura est, ut esse intelligi non possit, nisi ab illis qui sunt scientia praediti.
The end of knowledge is power ... the scope of all speculation is the performing of some action or thing to be done.
...not all encounters with the world affect the mind equally. Studies have demonstrated that if the brain appraises an event as "meaningful," it will be more likely to be recalled in the future.
If life was an arc of light that began in darkness, ended in darkness, the first part of his life had happened in ordinary glare. Here it was as though he had found a polarized lens that deepened and intensified all seen through it.
It is the stars, The stars above us, govern our conditions.
I urge you to ask yourself just how honorable it is to preside over the abuse and suffering of animals.
You are not going to destroy this imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy by creating your own version of it.
The virtuous man contents himself with dreaming that which the wicked man does in actual life.
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