Conscience Quote by Antonin Sertillanges
““We hear our legislators proclaim unceasingly their respect for the individual conscience, though it be a religious conscience, and themselves anticlericals. All the same, all their efforts tend to, dissociate us, and to reduce us to the state of amorphous dust. They can bear no organised society other than what they call a lay society no government other than their government and no social finality other than their temporal aspirations.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Political Commentary, 1935
Leaders claim to respect individual conscience yet their actions dissolve personal identity into vague collectivity.
In simple terms: People say they value personal belief, but their policies erase individuality.
Key Takeaway
Beware rhetoric that masks loss of personal autonomy.
Themes
politics
individualism
authority
Mood
skeptical
thoughtful
Type
political
critical
When to use this quote
- legislation
- public discourse
- civil rights
Key Concepts
liberalism
collectivism
Questions to Reflect On
- What balance should exist between individual conscience and societal order?
- How can we protect personal identity in governance?
A Different Perspective
The quote may generalize all legislators, ignoring nuanced positions.
