HKB
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Often appears with: reason and the intellect · doubt, skepticism, and certainty · want of ideas · undiscoverable connections · soul and immortality · soul and body · sensitive knowledge · religious persecution and toleration · quieting disputes · poor tracing of ideas · philosophical skepticism · mind-body problem
Usually: detachment (2) · argument (1) · reflection (1) · crisis of belief (1) · curiosity (1) · skepticism (1)
“He that knows anything, knows this, in the first place, that he need not seek long for instances of his ignorance.” John Locke, An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 2 · insight
“Sors tua mortalis, non est mortale quod optas.” --Ovid, Met. II. 56 “You have a man's fate, and a god's desires.” Voltaire, Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary · wit
Locke gives three causes of ignorance: lack of ideas, lack of a discoverable connection between ideas, and failure to trace and examine one’s ideas thoroughly.
Egyptian darkness, were not the candle of the Lord set up by himself in men's minds, which it is impossible for the breath or power of man wholly to extinguish. 21. Fourthly, Of the three real Existences of which we have certain knowledge. FOURTHLY, As to the fourth sort of our knowledge, viz. of the REAL ACTUAL EXISTENCE OF THINGS, we have an intuitive knowledge of OUR OWN EXISTENCE, and a demonstrative knowledge …
Voltaire argues that what we know about the soul is guesswork: questions about its origin, timing in the body, and ideas after death are as useless as asking sightless men about light.
ABOUT THE SOUL, AND ABOUT OUR LITTLE KNOWLEDGE On the testimony of our acquired knowledge, we have dared question whether the soul is created before us, whether it comes from non-existence into our body? at what age it came to settle between a bladder and the intestines *caecum* and *rectum*? if it brought ideas with it or received them there, and what are these ideas? if after animating us for a few moments, its es…