Link Copied!
Baron d'Holbach Quotes (1723-1789)
Philosopher, Author
About Baron d'Holbach
Baron d'Holbach, Paul-Henri Thiry (8 December 1723 β 21 January 1789) was a French author, philosopher and encyclopedist. He was born Paul Heinrich Dietrich in Edesheim, Germany. He is most famous as being one of the first self-described atheists in Europe.
Best Baron d'Holbach Quotes
Shortest
Earliest
Explore our curated collection of the most famous and impactful Baron d'Holbach quotes.
βIt is thus superstition infatuates man from his infancy, fills him with vanity, and enslaves him with fanaticism.β
βNow, if the ignorance of nature gave birth to Gods, the knowledge of nature is calculated to destroy them.β
βEverything that passes in the world, proves to us, in the clearest manner, that it is not governed by an intelligent being.β
βIf the ignorance of nature gave birth to such a variety of gods, the knowledge of this nature is calculated to destroy them.β
βSavage and furious nations, perpetually at war, adore, under diverse names, some God, conformable to their ideas, that is to say, cruel, carnivorous, selfish, blood-thirsty.β
βthe apostles, and especially their successors in the sacred ministry have, in preaching their gospel, brought on the world troubles and divisions unknown in all other preceding religions.β
βPascal proves nothing in favour of Religion, unless that a man of genius may be foolish on some subjects, and is but a child, when he is weak enough to listen to his prejudices.β
βThe preacher recommended peace and concord; dispositions necessary to a new born, weak, and persecuted sect; but this necessity ceased when this sect had attained strength enough to dictate the law.β
βThe preacher recommended peace and concord; dispositions necessary to a new born, weak, and persecuted sect; but this necessity ceased when this sect had attained strength enough to dictate the law.β
βJesus, to whom miracles cost nothing when every thing was arranged for performing them, did not risk himself by working them impromptu, or in the presence of those he judged acute enough to examine them.β
βWhen we examine the opinions of men, we find that nothing is more uncommon, than common sense; or, in other words, they lack judgment to discover plain truths, or to reject absurdities, and palpable contradictions.β
βthe miracles of the messiah were calculated to convince those only who did not [Pg 82]see them. Thus it is, that these miracles are believed at present by people who would not credit those performed in their presence.β
βJesus charged people of property with the maintenance of his apostles. Their successors have taken sufficient advantage of this, and through it assumed an authority to exercise the most cruel extortions on impoverished nations.β
βThe universe can be only what it is; all sensible being there enjoy and suffer, that is, are moved sometimes in an agreeable, and sometimes in a disagreeable manner. these effects are necessary; they result necessarily from causes, which act only according to their properties.β
βa protestant is bound to believe the gospel to be divine: and the examination of it is permitted only, while he finds there what the ministers of his sect have resolved that he shall find. Beyond this, he is regarded as an ungodly man, and often punished for the weakness of his intellect.β
βthe ways of God are not as those of men. The Deity ought never to act in a natural way, or be easily understood. It is the essence of religion that men should not comprehend any part of the divine conduct. This furnishes to their spiritual guides the pleasure of explaining it to them for their money.β
βSuns are extinguished or become corrupted, planets perish and scatter across the wastes of the sky; other suns are kindled, new planets formed to make their revolutions or describe new orbits, and man, an infinitely minute part of a globe which itself is only an imperceptible point in the immense whole, believes that the universe is made for himself.β
βIt must be acknowledged, that the impossibility of comprehending the doctrine of Jesus furnishes a good reason for denying that it can be divine. It cannot be conceived why a God, sent to instruct men, should never distinctly explain himself. No Pagan oracle employed terms more ambiguous, than the divine missionary chosen by Providence to enlighten nations.β
βThe worshipers of God find, above all in the order of the universe, an invincible proof of this existence of an intelligent and wise being, who governs it. But this order is nothing but a series of movements necessarily produced by causes or circumstances, which are sometimes favourable, and sometimes hurtful to us: we approve of some, and complain of others.β
βMen are naturally disposed to listen to, and believe those who make them hope for an end to their miseries. Misfortunes render them timorous and credulous, and lead them to superstition. A fanatic easily makes conquests among a wretched people. It is not then wonderful that Jesus should soon acquire partizans, especially among the populace who in every country are easily seduced.β
βReligion has ever filled the mind of man with darkness, and kept him in ignorance of his real duties and true interests. It is only by dispelling the clouds and phantoms of Religion, that we shall discover Truth, Reason, and Morality. Religion diverts us from the causes of evils, and from the remedies which nature prescribes; far from curing, it only aggravates, multiplies, and perpetuates them.β
βJesus, with a view, no doubt, of sweetening the lot of his apostles, recommended compassion to the listening multitude, of which he, as well as his party, stood in the greatest need. It is readily perceived, that the messiah felt the most imperious necessity to preach charity to his auditors; for he lived on alms, and his success depended on the generosity of the public, and the benefactions of the good souls who hearkened to his lessons.β
Baron d'Holbach Quotes by Topic
Find exactly what you are looking for by browsing this categorized list of Baron d'Holbach quotes by topic.
Baron d'Holbach on Atheism 2 quotes
βTous les enfans ΕΏont des athΓ©es; ils n'ont aucune idΓ©e de Dieu: ΕΏont-ils donc criminels Γ cauΕΏe de cette ignorance?β
Baron d'Holbach on Superstition
βIt is thus superstition infatuates man from his infancy, fills him with vanity, and enslaves him with fanaticism.β
Baron d'Holbach on Christianity
βIf we go back to the beginning, we shall find that ignorance and fear created the gods; that fancy, enthusiasm, or deceit adorned them; that weakness worships them; that credulity preserves them and that custom, respect and tyranny support them in order to make the blindness of men serve their own interests. If the ignorance of nature gave birth to gods, the knowledge of nature is calculated to destroy them.β
What Baron d'Holbach Said About Others
Discover personal opinions Baron d'Holbach shared regarding contemporaries.
Baron d'Holbach on Blaise Pascal
βPascal proves nothing in favour of Religion, unless that a man of genius may be foolish on some subjects, and is but a child, when he is weak enough to listen to his prejudices.β
Quotes About Baron d'Holbach
Gain deeper perspective through quotes about Baron d'Holbach from others.
Voltaire on Baron d'Holbach 2 quotes
βDoubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one. What is most repellent in the System of Nature β after the recipe for making eels from flour β is the audacity with which it decides that there is no God, without even having tried to prove the impossibility. If God did not exist, he would have to be invented. But all nature cries aloud that he does exist: that there is a supreme intelligence, an immense power, an admirable order, and everything teaches us our own dependence on it.β
About Baron d'Holbach
Baron d'Holbach, Paul-Henri Thiry (8 December 1723 β 21 January 1789) was a French author, philosopher and encyclopedist. He was born Paul Heinrich Dietrich in Edesheim, Germany. He is most famous as being one of the first self-described atheists in Europe.