Q0390
“Abandon all hope, you who enter here.” — Dante Alighieri (Inferno III.9)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Inferno III.9. Theme: choice.
English
Abandon all hope, you who enter here.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Inferno III.9 and files it under Scholasticism. 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 Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) was the Florentine poet-philosopher of the Divine Comedy, exiled in the Guelf–Ghibelline conflicts. He wrote vernacular epic that synthesizes Aristotelian ethics, scholastic theology, and civic passion.
How to read this passage
Free will, decision theory, and existential choice all ask how choosing is possible and what makes a choice one’s own. This passage enters that discussion through choice.
Concepts in this quote
- Choice
- Choice is the hinge of agency: selecting among options under reasons, constraints, and uncertainty.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Dante Alighieri. (n.d.). Abandon all hope, you who enter here. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0390
MLA: Dante Alighieri. “Abandon all hope, you who enter here..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0390.
Chicago: Dante Alighieri. “Abandon all hope, you who enter here..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0390.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Abandon all hope, you who enter here.”?
The passage is attributed to Dante Alighieri, Inferno III.9. The archive attributes this English wording to Inferno III.9 and files it under Scholasticism. 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 Dante Alighieri mean by choice?
Free will, decision theory, and existential choice all ask how choosing is possible and what makes a choice one’s own. This passage enters that discussion through choice.