Ernest Renan, cited in Eric Hoffer, Between the Devil and the Dragon (New York: 1982), p. 111
“
It is much to be feared that the last expression of democracy may be a social state with a degenerate populace having no other aim than to indulge in the ignoble appetites of the vulgar.
— Ernest Renan on Democracy
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It is much to be feared that the last expression of democracy may be a social state with a degenerate populace having no other aim than to indulge in the ignoble appetites of the vulgar." in the context of "Ernest Renan, cited in Eric Hoffer, Between the Devil and the Dragon (New York: 1982), p. 111" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Democracy" (R)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Ernest Renan
Ernest Renan (February 28, 1823 – October 12, 1892) was a French philosopher, playwright, historian, and writer.
About Ernest Renan
Ernest Renan (February 28, 1823 – October 12, 1892) was a French philosopher, playwright, historian, and writer.
View all quotes →