Bible Quote by Pascal Bruckner
““As good heirs of the Bible, we think that a great misfortune necessarily follows a great infraction. In this respect the intellectual caste, in our world, is the penitential class par excellence, continuing the role of the clergy under the Old Regime. We have to call its members what they are: officials of original sin.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Essays on Modern Society, 1990
Intellectuals, like clergy, are seen as inherently sinful, bearing the burden of original sin.
In simple terms: Intellectuals are blamed for moral failings.
Key Takeaway
Recognize humility in scholarship.
Themes
philosophy
morality
elitism
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic discourse
- public policy debates
- media criticism
Key Concepts
original sin
penitential class
intellectual caste
Questions to Reflect On
- How does power influence moral judgments?
- Can intellectuals be both critical and compassionate?
A Different Perspective
Not all intellectual work is sinful; context matters.
![“Good scholars struggle to understand the world in an integral way (pedants bite off tiny bits and worry them to death). These visions of reality [...] demand our respect, for they are an intellectual's only birthright. They are often entirely wrong and always flawed in serious ways, but they must…” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/359/stephen-jay-gould-885_birthright_good-scholars-struggle-to-understand-the_2471854.jpg)
