A biography for Friedrich Durrenmatthasn’t been written yet.
“For people who have no critical acumen, a state is a mythical entity, for those who think critically it is a rational fiction, created by man in order to facilitate human coexistence.”
“One does not set fire to a world which is already lost.”
“I am a man, and God is hiding from us humans. We are unable to see Him, we can only search for Him.”
“There are thoughts we must not think.”
“For a person who is dying only eternity counts.”
“Only the freedom of mind can prevent the state from becoming totalitarian and from issuing totalitarian demands.”
“The rightful claim to dissent is an existential right of the individual.”
“Today's difference between Russia and the United States is that in Russia everybody takes everybody else for a spy, and in the United States everybody takes everybody else for a criminal.”
“Nothing that has been thought can ever be taken back.”
“Everything that is necessary is also easy. You just have to accept it. And the most necessary, the most natural matter on this planet is death.”
“Someone who is about to die does not mourn the dead.”
“World history is tragic.”
“Power is paradoxical.”
“We do not consider patriotism desirable if it contradicts civilized behavior.”
“The worst possible turn can not be programmed. It is caused by coincidence.”
“Emotions have no place in business, unless you do business with them.”
“The world is bad but not without hope. It is only hopeless when you look at it from an ideal viewpoint.”
“Before anything else, we need a new age of Enlightenment. Our present political systems must relinquish their claims on truth, justice and freedom and have to replace them with the search for truth, justice, freedom and reason.”