“Moderation is the spirit of castrated narrow-mindedness.”

— Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel

“Selected Aphorisms from the Athenaeum (1798)”, Dialogue on Poetry and Literary Aphorisms, Ernst Behler and Roman Struc, trans. (Pennsylvania University Press:1968) #64
Athenäum (1798 - 1800)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Moderation is the spirit of castrated narrow-mindedness." by Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel?

Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel photo

Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel 67

German poet, critic and scholar 1772–1829

Related quotes

“Of a great spirit is moderation in prosperity.”
Magni pectoris est inter secunda moderatio.

Marcus Annaeus Seneca (-54–39 BC) Roman scholar

Suasoriae; Chapter I

“Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit. It is never a narrowing of the mind or a restriction of the human spirit or the country's spirit.”

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) Indian lawyer, statesman, and writer, first Prime Minister of India

The Quintessence of Nehru (1961) edited by K. T. Narasimhachar, p. 120

“The attitude of authority discourages the spirit of search and criticism. Popular prejudice is entrenched. Non-essentials are over-emphasized. Crowd-mindedness, rather than independence of judgment, prevails.”

Everett Dean Martin (1880–1941)

Source: The Meaning of a Liberal Education (1926), p. 181

“In my doctrine, I dislike preconceived, narrow spirit. You must study this well.”

Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645) Japanese martial artist, writer, artist

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Wind Book
Context: Your strategy is of no account if when called on to fight in a confined space your heart is inclined to the long sword, or if you are in a house armed only with your companion sword. Besides, some men have not the strength of others.
In my doctrine, I dislike preconceived, narrow spirit. You must study this well.

“The spirit of our age is one in which the prejudices of the past are put behind us, where our diversity is our strength. It is this which is under attack. Moderates are not moderate through weakness but through strength. Now is the time to show it in defence of our common values.”

Tony Blair (1953) former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

" Prime Minister Blair's speech http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/16/international/europe/17text-blair.html?ex=1174104000&en=fc0f4a2452f34103&ei=5070", New York Times, 16 July 2005.
Speech to the Labour Party National Policy Forum.
2000s

“Fanaticism and extremism cannot grow on an earth whose soil is embedded in the spirit of tolerance, moderation, and balance. Good governance can eliminate injustice, destitution and poverty.”

Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (1924–2015) former King of Saudi Arabia

Remarks at a Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Summit http://washingtontimes.com/article/20071010/EDITORIAL/110100007/1013/EDITORIAL 5 December 2005.

“And boys, be in nothing so moderate as in love of man, a clever servant,
insufferable master.
There is the trap that catches noblest spirits, that caught — they say —
God, when he walked on earth.”

Robinson Jeffers (1887–1962) American poet

"Shine, Perishing Republic" (1939)

“You may ask what then will become of the fundamental principles of equity and fair play which our constitutions enshrine; and whether I seriously believe that unsupported they will serve merely as counsels of moderation. I do not think that anyone can say what will be left of those principles; I do not know whether they will serve only as counsels; but this much I think I do know — that a society so riven that the spirit of moderation is gone, no court can save; that a society where that spirit flourishes, no court need save; that in a society which evades its responsibility by thrusting upon the courts the nurture of that spirit, that spirit in the end will perish.”

Learned Hand (1872–1961) American legal scholar, Court of Appeals judge

"The Contribution of an Independent Judiciary to Civilization" (1942).
Extra-judicial writings

“As spirits transport themselves from point to point with the rapidity of thought, they may be said to see everywhere at the same time. A spirit's thought may radiate at the same moment on many different points; but this faculty depends on his purity. The more impure the spirit, the narrower is his range of sight. It is only the higher spirits who can take in a whole at a single glance.”

Allan Kardec (1804–1869) systematizer of Spiritism

Source: The Spirits' Book, p. 155.

“You may ask what then will become of the fundamental principles of equity and fair play which our constitutions enshrine; and whether I seriously believe that unsupported they will serve merely as counsels of moderation. I do not think that anyone can say what will be left of those principles; I do not know whether they will serve only as counsels; but this much I think I do know — that a society so riven that the spirit of moderation is gone, no court can save; that a society where that spirit flourishes, no court need save; that in a society which evades its responsibility by thrusting upon the courts the nurture of that spirit, that spirit in the end will perish. What is the spirit of moderation? It is the temper which does not press a partisan advantage to its bitter end, which can understand and will respect the other side, which feels a unity between all citizens—real and not the factitious product of propaganda—which recognizes their common fate and their common aspirations—in a word, which has faith in the sacredness of the individual.”

Learned Hand (1872–1961) American legal scholar, Court of Appeals judge

"The Contribution of an Independent Judiciary to Civilization" (1942).
Extra-judicial writings

Related topics

Spirit