"He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave"

Refusal to use reason is described as bigotry, suggesting a stubborn adherence to beliefs without openness to rational thought. Such a person chooses ignorance over enlightenment, often dismissing perspectives that challenge personal convictions. Bigotry flourishes where questioning is shunned, cultivating intolerance and closed-mindedness. The willful rejection of reason signals deliberate blindness, as opposed to mere lack of information.

The inability to reason is identified with folly. Those who cannot analyze, compare, or comprehend arguments, whether through lack of education, intellect, or capacity, are depicted as fools. It is not malice but limitation that hinders their engagement with ideas. Here the fault lies in incapacity rather than choice—the limitation of understanding, not the deliberate narrowing of perspective. Such a person may be pitiable, for their folly precludes genuine reflection and growth, leaving them vulnerable to misinformation.

Lastly, those who fear the exercise of reason are compared to slaves. This condition is not of mind or will, but imposed by external circumstances—a suppression born from coercion, intimidation, or social pressures. Daring not to reason is portrayed as the most tragic, for it implies awareness of reason's power, yet also a consciousness of the risks involved in using it. Intellectual freedom becomes a privilege denied, and the person cowers beneath convention, dogma, or authority. This is not ignorance nor incapacity; it is a state of bondage, an enslavement of the intellect to forces beyond the self.

Together, these distinctions urge individuals to cherish and utilize the faculty of reason. Neither bigotry, nor folly, nor enslaved conformity foster progress or authentic understanding. The human mind’s capacity to reason, to analyze, challenge, and seek truth, is essential for individual growth and a flourishing, open society. To reason is to be free.