Q0042
“Nothing can be created from nothing by divine agency.” — Lucretius (De Rerum Natura I.150–158)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: De Rerum Natura I.150–158. Theme: nature.
English
Nothing can be created from nothing by divine agency.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to De Rerum Natura I.150–158 and files it under Epicureanism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Lucretius
Titus Lucretius Carus (c. 99–c.
How to read this passage
Nature may mean physical cosmos, living world, human nature, or a normative standard of what ought to be. Presocratics, Daoists, Stoics, and modern environmental thinkers share the word while disagreeing about its force. This passage enters that discussion through nature, reason.
Concepts in this quote
- Nature
- Philosophy quotes about nature ask what the cosmos is, how humans belong in it, and whether “natural” can guide ethics or politics.
- Reason
- Reason is the capacity to give and assess reasons—central to logic, science, ethics, and public argument.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Lucretius. (n.d.). Nothing can be created from nothing by divine agency. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0042
MLA: Lucretius. “Nothing can be created from nothing by divine….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0042.
Chicago: Lucretius. “Nothing can be created from nothing by divine….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0042.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Nothing can be created from nothing by divine…”?
The passage is attributed to Lucretius, De Rerum Natura I.150–158. The archive attributes this English wording to De Rerum Natura I.150–158 and files it under Epicureanism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Lucretius mean by nature?
Nature may mean physical cosmos, living world, human nature, or a normative standard of what ought to be. Presocratics, Daoists, Stoics, and modern environmental thinkers share the word while disagreeing about its force. This passage enters that discussion through nature, reason.