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23072 | Systems are the worst despotism, in philosophy and in life [Cioran] |
Full Idea: Aristotle, Aquinas, Hegel - three enslavers of the mind. The worst form of despotism is the system, in philosophy and in everything. | |
From: E.M. Cioran (The Trouble with Being Born [1973], 07) | |
A reaction: I'm not quite clear why intellectual 'despotism' is a dreadful crime. I revere Aristotle, partly because he is systematic, but I reject about 30% of what he says. Still, many people agree with this idea. |