Who said “To conceive the good, in fact, is not sufficient; it must be made to succeed among men.…”?

Verified

Ernest Renan. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceVie de Jésus (The Life of Jesus) (1863)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“To conceive the good, in fact, is not sufficient; it must be made to succeed among men. To accomplish this less pure paths must be followed.”
VerifiedVie de Jésus (The Life of Jesus) (1863) · evidenceGoodness
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Vie de Jésus (The Life of Jesus) (1863).

APA

Renan, E. (n.d.). To conceive the good, in fact, is not sufficient; it must be made to succeed among men. To accomplish this less pure paths must be followed. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/4951-to-conceive-the-good-in-fact-is-not/

MLA

Renan, Ernest. “To conceive the good, in fact, is not sufficient; it must be made to succeed among men. To accomplish this less pure paths must be followed.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/4951-to-conceive-the-good-in-fact-is-not/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Renan, Ernest. “To conceive the good, in fact, is not sufficient; it must be made to succeed among men. To accomplish this less pure paths must be followed.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/4951-to-conceive-the-good-in-fact-is-not/.