Freedom Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““In January 1821, Thomas Jefferson wrote John Adams to “encourage a hope that the human mind will some day get back to the freedom it enjoyed 2000 years ago.” This wish for a return to the era of philosophy would put Jefferson in the same period as Titus Lucretius Carus, thanks to whose six-volume poem De Rerum Naturum (On the Nature of Things) we have a distillation of the work of the first true materialists: Leucippus, Democritus, and Epicurus. These men concluded that the world was composed of atoms in perpetual motion, and Epicurus, in particular, went on to argue that the gods, if they existed, played no part in human affairs. It followed that events like thunderstorms were natural and not supernatural, that ceremonies of worship and propitiation were a waste of time, and that there was nothing to be feared in death.””
About This Quote
Source Letter: Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, January 1821
Jefferson expresses hope that humanity will regain ancient philosophical freedom, aligning with materialist ideas that the world operates by natural laws without divine intervention.
In simple terms: Hope for returning to ancient philosophical freedom and naturalistic worldview.
Key Takeaway
Embrace rational, natural explanations over superstition.
Themes
philosophy
materialism
freedom
science
secularism
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
hopeful
Type
historical
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- education
- public discourse
- policy making
- personal belief
- scientific research
Key Concepts
atomism
naturalism
skepticism
Questions to Reflect On
- What would a truly naturalistic worldview change in your daily life?
- How can we foster rational thinking in a superstitious culture?
A Different Perspective
Human societies often cling to supernatural explanations despite evidence.
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