Answers Quote by Pierre Bayle
“Compulsion in the literal Sense is maliciously misrepresented, by supposing it authorizes Violences committed against the Truth. The Answer to this; by which it is prov'd, that the literal Sense does in reality authorize the stirring up Persecutions against the Cause of Truth, and that an erroneous Conscience has the same Rights as an enlighten'd Conscience.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Philosophical Dictionary, 1690
Literal interpretation can be twisted to justify violence, but true conscience, whether enlightened or not, should not be weaponized.
In simple terms: Literal meaning can be misused to justify harm.
Key Takeaway
Beware of using literalism to justify oppression.
Themes
interpretation
violence
truth
conscience
ethics
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
theoretical
ethical
When to use this quote
- legal debates
- religious discourse
- political rhetoric
- media analysis
Key Concepts
moral relativism
abuse of language
justice
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you distinguish genuine conscience from corrupted justification?
- When should literal meaning be questioned?
A Different Perspective
Literal sense does not inherently authorize persecution; context matters.
![“You have not been mistaken in supposing my views and feeling to be in favor of the abolition of war. Of my dispos[i]tion to maintain peace until its condition shall be made less tolerable than that of war itself, the world has had proofs, and more, perhaps, than it has approved. I hope it is…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/77f/thomas-jefferson-43_abolition_you-have-not-been-mistaken-in-supposing_184816.jpg)
