TO argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.
Thomas Paine: “TO argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity…”
Editor's note · Context
In a critique of those who reject reason, this passage describes the futility of attempting to persuade individuals who hold humanity in contempt.
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