Many years ago, one “Voltaire” wrote Dictionnaire philosophique. I have not read it in full, waiting (hoping) some day to read it in full in its original language. I did read a work intended–commissioned by Harvard University Press–as a sort of successor, Nisbet’s Prejudices, an imperfect work that remains delightfully fitting decades on. You should take note of the item in parenthesis, being a notion identical in other language with the word preceding: those who hope, endure in waiting.

A like criticism in usage, this mere blog is intended as a sort of study on “words”: Christians often remark upon the fact that the Greek for “word” is “logos”; it can mean much more than a form on the page, or certain sound supposed (wrongly) by its users to be connected to one concept or “meaning” or “mean” “one thing”, and is used to suggest a message and teaching that is a doctrine, or system of thought and understanding, which unwelcom’edly (in our day) is rather strict, or rather imposes consequences upon the actions of those who hold it. We can see such a usage–as “saying” or “teaching”–in such idioms as “let me have a word with you”, or in religious circles, the reverend declaring that he “has a word”.

There is another word in English capturing this sense, and it is my special interest …doctrine. Because surrounded by so many voices, there is a lot of doctrine, and the consequences to society of the habits and acts of those who hold it, are no good. It seems to be as the preachers says,

“none doeth good”,” there is none righteous, not even one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh for God; all have turned aside, together they have become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they keep deceiving,” the poison of asps is under their lips”; “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; “their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace have they not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.