--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Concerning the Gods, there are those who…" description: "\"Concerning the Gods, there are those who deny the very existence of the Godhead; others say that it exists, but neither bestirs nor concerns itself not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/epictetus-413_attributes_concerning-the-gods-there-are-those-who_1675402.jpg" --- # Concerning the Gods, there are those who deny the very… ![“Concerning the Gods, there are those who deny the very existence of the Godhead; others say that it exists, but neither bestirs nor concerns itself not has forethought far anything. A third party attribute to it existence and forethought, but only for great and heavenly matters, not for anything…” quote by Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/epictetus-413_attributes_concerning-the-gods-there-are-those-who_1675402.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/epictetus-413_attributes_concerning-the-gods-there-are-those-who_1675402.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/epictetus-413_attributes_concerning-the-gods-there-are-those-who_1675402.jpg) > “Concerning the Gods, there are those who deny the very existence of the Godhead; others say that it exists, but neither bestirs nor concerns itself not has forethought far anything. A third party attribute to it existence and forethought, but only for great and heavenly matters, not for anything that is on earth. A fourth party admit things on earth as well as in heaven, but only in general, and not with respect to each individual. A fifth, of whom were Ulysses and Socrates, are those that cry: -- I move not without Thy knowledge!” [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote outlines five philosophical positions on divine agency, ranging from denial to universal involvement. **In simple terms:** Different views on how God interacts with the world. Key Takeaway Recognize the spectrum of belief about divine involvement. Themes theology philosophy belief agency divine existence Mood contemplative analytical skeptical Type philosophical theological reflective When to use this quote - personal reflection - academic debate - interfaith dialogue - spiritual counseling Key Concepts determinism free will metaphysics epistemology Questions to Reflect On - Which view aligns with your experience of fate? - How does belief in divine oversight affect moral choices? A Different Perspective Some positions may oversimplify complex theological nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attributes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attributes/) [Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/) [Concerning Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerning-gods-902966/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Deny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deny/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Existence Godhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-godhead-902968/) [Fifth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifth/) [Forethought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forethought/) [Fourth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fourth/) [Godhead Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godhead-say-902969/) [Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods/) [Gods Deny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-deny-902967/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Heavenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavenly/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Third parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third-parties/) [Third party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third-party/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Ulysses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ulysses/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Disbelieve nothing wonderful concerning the gods, nor concerning divine dogmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/disbelieve-nothing-wonderful-concerning-the-gods-nor-concerning/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [This atheism concerning the gods of men pertains hereafter to any possible faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ricoeur/this-atheism-concerning-the-gods-of-men-pertains-hereafter-to-any/) [Paul Ricoeur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ricoeur/) > [“Concerning the gods I cannot know either that they exist or that they do not exist, or what form they might have, for there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/concerning-the-gods-i-cannot-know-either-that-they-exist-or-that-they/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) > [“Religio", as we know, harks back to a word (re-ligio) meaning "bond" and that is precisely what the anarch rejects. He does not go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-junger/religio-as-we-know-harks-back-to-a-word-re-ligio-meaning-bond-and/) [Ernst Jünger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-junger/) > [Blessed is he who has acquired a wealth of divine wisdom, but miserable he in whom there rests a dim opinion concerning the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empedocles/blessed-is-he-who-has-acquired-a-wealth-of-divine-wisdom-but/) [Empedocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/empedocles/) > [Concerning the gods, I have no means of knowing either that they exist or that they do not exist, nor what sort of form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/concerning-the-gods-i-have-no-means-of-knowing-either-that-they-exist/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) > [ The first essential character \[of civilization\], I should say, is forethought. This, indeed, is what mainly distinguishes men from brutes and adults from children. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-first-essential-character-of-civilization-i-should-say-is/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Whoever fails to turn aside the ills of life by prudent forethought, must submit to fulfill the course of destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/whoever-fails-to-turn-aside-the-ills-of-life-by-prudent-forethought/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [The most basic task of any museum must be the protection of works of cultural significance entrusted to its care for the edification and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/the-most-basic-task-of-any-museum-must-be-the-protection-of-works-of/) [Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/) > [Great is the art, Great be the manners, of the bard. He shall not his brain encumber With the coil of rhythm and number;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/great-is-the-art-great-be-the-manners-of-the-bard-he-shall-not-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“As a man without forethought scarcely deserves the name of a man, so forethought without reflection is but a metaphorical phrase for the instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/as-a-man-without-forethought-scarcely-deserves-the-name-of-a-man-so/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [The Providence that watches over the affairs of men works out of their mistakes, at times, a healthier issue than could have been accomplished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/the-providence-that-watches-over-the-affairs-of-men-works-out-of/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/choose-your-leaders-with-wisdom-and-forethought-to-be-led-by-a-coward/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I realized that with everything I did from that point onward, I would have to ask myself this question: "How would I feel if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/i-realized-that-with-everything-i-did-from-that-point-onward-i-would/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [Do not tax your life with forethought of grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/do-not-tax-your-life-with-forethought-of-grief/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) ## More by Epictetus > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/practice-yourself-for-heaven-s-sake-in-little-things-and-then-proceed/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Do not laugh much or often or unrestrainedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/do-not-laugh-much-or-often-or-unrestrainedly/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [When men are unhappy, they do not imagine they can ever cease to be so; and when some calamity has fallen on them, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-men-are-unhappy-they-do-not-imagine-they-can-ever-cease-to-be-so/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/don-t-be-prideful-with-any-excellence-that-is-not-your-own/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. For men sell themselves at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/you-know-yourself-what-you-are-worth-in-your-own-eyes-and-at-what/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/crows-pick-out-the-eyes-of-the-dead-when-the-dead-have-no-longer-need/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [As a man, casting off worn out garments taketh new ones, so the dweller in the body, entereth into ones that are new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/as-a-man-casting-off-worn-out-garments-taketh-new-ones-so-the-dweller/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [If you would improve, submit to be considered wihout sense and foolish with respect to externals. Wish to be considered to know nothing; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-you-would-improve-submit-to-be-considered-wihout-sense-and-foolish/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“For it is not death or pain that is to be feared, but the fear of pain or death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/for-it-is-not-death-or-pain-that-is-to-be-feared-but-the-fear-of-pain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [What else can I do, a lame old man, but sing hymns to God? If I were a nightingale, I would do the nightingale's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/what-else-can-i-do-a-lame-old-man-but-sing-hymns-to-god-if-i-were-a/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Small-minded people blame others. Average people blame themselves. The wise see all blame as foolishness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/small-minded-people-blame-others-average-people-blame-themselves-the/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/all-philosophy-lies-in-two-words-sustain-and-abstain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) [Explore all 577 Epictetus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## More Attributes quotes > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [I think the greatest imagination we can exercise is one that imagines how someone else feels. Because you know how you feel, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-think-the-greatest-imagination-we-can-exercise-is-one-that-imagines/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [A lover asked his beloved, Do you love yourself more than you love me? Beloved replied, I have died to myself and I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lover-asked-his-beloved-do-you-love-yourself-more-than-you-love-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the greatest attributes of jazz, I think, is that it is that open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/one-of-the-greatest-attributes-of-jazz-i-think-is-that-it-is-that-open/) [Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/) > [God is compassionate and just, loving and holy, wrathful and forgiving. WE can't sideline His more difficult attributes to make room for the palatable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/god-is-compassionate-and-just-loving-and-holy-wrathful-and-forgiving/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [I'm Irish and always will be, but America has taught me so much. Maybe it's here in the U.S. that we find a healing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fionnula-flanagan/i-m-irish-and-always-will-be-but-america-has-taught-me-so-much-maybe/) [Fionnula Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fionnula-flanagan/) > [“It is this spirit of godliness that will bring forth the attributes, the principles and the life style of godliness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/it-is-this-spirit-of-godliness-that-will-bring-forth-the-attributes/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery-th e strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/a-pivotal-spiritual-attribute-is-that-of-self-mastery-th-e-strength/) [Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/) > [I have often noticed that the two nuclear powers on the Indian subcontinent, India and Pakistan, attribute to Kashmiris an inferior intellect, a lineage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyla-ali-khan/i-have-often-noticed-that-the-two-nuclear-powers-on-the-indian/) [Nyla Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyla-ali-khan/) > [Primarily affecting low-information voters and members of the mainstream media, Obama Worship Syndrome attributes impossible capabilities to Obama's political opponents, finds excuses for every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/primarily-affecting-low-information-voters-and-members-of-the/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we move away from generalities and abstractions and begin to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/developing-christlike-attributes-in-our-lives-is-not-an-easy-task/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [If I have any attribute that serves me well, it's I don't have a long-range plan in life. I have no idea. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wilbon/if-i-have-any-attribute-that-serves-me-well-it-s-i-don-t-have-a-long/) [Michael Wilbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wilbon/) [Browse all 852 Attributes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attributes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Concerning the Gods, there are those who deny the very existence of the Godhead; others say that it exists, but neither bestirs nor concerns itself not has forethought far anything. A third party attribute to it existence and forethought, but only for great and heavenly matters, not for anything that is on earth. A fourth party admit things on earth as well as in heaven, but only in general, and not with respect to each individual. 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