Eragon to Saphira on being a vegetarian:
S - "It is the way of the world that everything eats everything else. Why do you resist the order of things?"
E - "Because we can better ourselves. Should we give in our impulses...to take whatever we want from those who are weaker, and, in general, to disregard the feelings of others?
We are made
imperfect and must
guard against our flaws lest they destroy us."
Oromis on religion and the afterlife:
E - "Where do you think the world came from, then, if it wasn't created by the gods?"
O - "I would not necessarily agree with you. But be as that may, I cannot prove that gods do
not exist. Nor can I prove that the world and everything in it was not created by an entity or entities in the distant past...we have never witnessed an instance where the rules that govern the world have been broken. Many events have defied our ability to explain, but we are convinced that we failed because we are still
woefully ignorant about the universe and not beacuse a deity altered the workings of nature."
O - (on dwarves and religion) "When it comes to certain matters, they rely upon faith rather than reason. They have even been known to ignore proven facts that contradict ther dogma."
E - (on a world without religion) "It seems a cold world without something...more."
O - On the contrary, it is a better world. A place where we are
responsible for our own actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of
behaving by the
threat of divine punishment."
Eragon on learning why logic suceeds determination and wisdom:
O - "The answer is logic. Applied properly, it can overcome any lack of wisdom, which one only gains through age and experience."
E - "Yes, but isnt having a good heart more important than logic? Pure logic can lead you to conclusions that are ethically wrong..."
O - "...I agree that it's important to be of a virtuous nature, but I would also contend that if you had to choose between giving a man a noble disposition or teaching him to think clearly, you'd do better to teach him to think clearly.
Too many problems in this world are caused by men with noble dispostions and clouded minds."
O - "Keep in mind, Eragon, that no one thinks of himself as a villain,and few make decisions they think are wrong."
true.
very true.
back to work...
All rights reserved © Eragon, Oromis, Eldest and the Inheritance trilogy belongs to Christopher Paolini