29 December 2022

Hypatia of Alexandria - Collected Quotes

Disclaimer: It seems that all quotes available online and attributed to Hypatia come from doubtful sources (see [1]):

"All formal dogmatic religions are fallacious and must never be accepted by self-respecting persons as final." ([attributed] Hypatia of Alexandria)

"Fables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fancies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing. The child mind accepts and believes them, and only through great pain and perhaps tragedy can he be in after years relieved of them. In fact, men will fight for a superstition quite as quickly as for a living truth - often more so, since a superstition is so intangible you cannot get at it to refute it, but truth is a point of view, and so is changeable." ([attributed] Hypatia of Alexandria)

"He who influences the thinking of his time, influences all the moments that follow him. Leave your opinion for eternity." (Hypatia of Alexandria)

"Life is growth, and the more we travel, the more truth we can understand. Understanding the things that surround us is the best preparation to understand the things that lie beyond." (Hypatia of Alexandria)

"Neoplatonism is progressive philosophy, and does not expect to state final conditions to men whose minds are finite. Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond." ([attributed] Hypatia of Alexandria)

"To rule by fettering the mind through fear of punishment in another world, is just as base as to use force. [...] Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." ([attributed] Hypatia of Alexandria)

Resources:
[1] Spencer McDaniel (2019) Fake and Misattributed Ancient Quotes
https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2019/07/16/fake-and-misattributed-ancient-quotes/ 



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