Quotes Tagged "reason"
May it [American independence] be to the world, what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all,) the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately... These are grounds of hope for others. For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them. [Letter to Roger C. Weightman on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, 24 June 1826. This was Jefferson's last letter]
«Porque felizmente (pensaba) el hombre no está solo hecho de desesperaciĂłn sino de fe y esperanza; no solo de muerte sino tambiĂ©n de anhelo de vida; tampoco Ăşnicamente de soledad sino de momentos de comuniĂłn y amor. Porque si prevalece la desesperaciĂłn, todos nos dejarĂamos morir o nos matarĂamos, y eso no es de ninguna manera lo que sucede. Lo que demostraba, a su juicio, la poca importancia de la razĂłn, ya que no es razonable mantener esperanzas en este mundo en que vivimos. Nuestra razĂłn, nuestra inteligencia, constantemente nos están probando que este mundo es atroz, motivo por el cual la razĂłn es aniquiladora y conduce al escepticismo, al cinismo y finalmente a la aniquilaciĂłn. Pero, por suerte, el hombre no es casi nunca un ser razonable, y por eso la esperanza renace una y otra vez en medio de las calamidades.»