Certainty Quote by Denis Diderot
“Only a very bad theologian would confuse the certainty that follows revelation with the truths that are revealed. They are entirely different things.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Letter on the Blind by Denis Diderot, 1749
Revelation and its interpretation are distinct; certainty after insight is not the same as the revealed truth.
In simple terms: Revelation ≠ certainty.
Key Takeaway
Separate insight from belief.
Themes
philosophy
theology
knowledge
truth
interpretation
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- religious discourse
- academic debate
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
epistemology
dogma
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate between insight and belief?
- What safeguards prevent misinterpretation?
A Different Perspective
Confusing certainty with truth can lead to dogmatism.
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)