This result could have been achieved either by his [God]…
“This result could have been achieved either by his [God] endowing my intellect with a clear and distinct perception of everything about which I would ever deliberate, or simply by impressing the following rule so firmly upon my memory that I could never forget it: I should never judge anything that I do not clearly and distinctly understand.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Recognize limits of knowledge; only judge what is clearly understood; otherwise refrain from judgment.
In simple terms: Judge only what you clearly understand.
Pause before judging unclear matters.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal decision making
- legal judgments
- ethical dilemmas
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify clarity before forming an opinion?
- What safeguards can prevent premature judgments?
Human intuition can be misleading without rigorous analysis.