Pierre CorneillePierre Corneille, (1606-1684) French playwright, known as the "founder of French tragedy”

Pierre Corneille Quote

“Do your duty, and leave the rest to heaven.”

Pierre CorneillePierre Corneille
~ Pierre Corneille

Horace (1639), Act II, sc. viii

Ratings and Comments


Mike, Norwalk

mmmm, duno?

Mike, Norwalk

I might say pray to heaven first, then follow the spirit to the best of your ability. If you have no sensorial perception, or otherwise working knowledge of the spirit, then the quote and sentiment are irrelevant, nonsensical, and a non issue.

EGL, LA
  • Reply
EGL, LA    12/21/06

That certainly gets people off the hook.

Mike, Norwalk
  • Reply
Mike, Norwalk EGL, LA 4/22/19

EGL, your sentiment is far more accurate than not  way more times than not. Several issues here. One issue is "the laws of nature and of nature's God" as a whole in conjunction with nature's justice (gravity, physics, life, liberty, property, restoration, etc.) Man can not licitly create law, only create an "order" by application of descriptive tools such as codes, ordinances, regulations, rules, statutes, etc. administering the law that already exists. Beyond that, nature will take its course (where, nobody gets off the hook).

Another issue is man confuses sensorial perception / a palpable working knowledge of the spirit with emotion, carnal desires, cravings of power, ignorance's array of incomplete knowledge (differing from any body of collected and interpreted data or a never ending epistemology), etc. (see my previous statement)

Anonymous, Reston, VA US

Very zen... do what you can, and let go of that which you can not affect...

Mike, Norwalk

Anonymous from Reston, well said, an excellent atheistic interpretation for people of all faiths.

Dick, Fort Worth

Do your duty but never waste faith in ghosts.

Robert, Sarasota

Heaven is what your Duty makes it.

Ken, Allyn, WA

Would you all feel better if he had said "the stars" instead of "heaven"? It seems that the passions of atheists are terribly stirred whenever a mention of God or heaven is made. I thought they were just silly superstitions. Maybe they mean something to you afterall.

David L. Rosenthal

Perhaps conscience comes into play at some point. Of course, if you have no conscience, then that would certainly make it hard to follow it.

E Archer, NYC

The gods have their work, the people have theirs. Do your duty and trust in the process of life. Honor is something no one can take away from another.

Me Again
  • Reply
Me Again    12/22/06

I live my "duty" by this quote.

Jack, Green, OH

How does heaven go about doing anything? It would make as much (or more) sense to say, Do your duty, and to hell with the rest At least everyone would know what it meant

Anonymous
  • Reply
    Anonymous    4/17/09

    My only duties are to myself and to the betterment of the world.

    jim k, Austin

    I suspect it means do your duty and let the chips fall...

    cal, Lewisville, Tx

    Could it mean, Trusting God and luck?

    @

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