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Quote by Allan Bloom

“As Western nations became more prosperous, leisure, which had been put off for several centuries in favor of the pursuit of property, the means to leisure, finally began to be of primary concern. But, in the meantime, any notion of the serious life of leisure, as well as men's taste and capacity to live it, had disappeared.”

Quote by Allan Bloom

Author

Allan Bloom was an influential American philosopher, born on September 14, 1930, and died on October 7, 1992. He is one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, known for his profound understanding and unique insights into Western philosophy. more

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“There are two threats to reason, the opinion that one knows the truth about the most important things and the opinion that there is no truth about them. Both of these opinions are fatal to philosophy; the first asserts that the quest for truth is unnecessary, while the second asserts that it is impossible. The Socratic knowledge of ignorance, which I take to be the beginning point of all philosophy, defines the sensible middle ground between two extremes.”

Knows Firsts Two Important Reason Philosophy Opinion Impossible Middle Ignorance Truth Is Important Things Threat Extremes Sensible Quests Unnecessary Middle Ground Two Extremes Socratic

Author:Allan Bloom

“Socrates' way of life is the consequence of his recognition that we can know what it is that we do not know about the most important things and that we are by nature obliged to seek that knowledge.”

Knows Way Important Life Is Consequence Important Things Recognition Obliged

Author:Allan Bloom

“I am now even more persuaded of the urgent need to study why Socrates was accused. The dislike of philosophy is perennial, and the seeds of the condemnation of Socrates are present at all times, not in the bosoms of pleasure-seekers, who don't give a damn, but in those of high-minded and idealistic persons who do not want to submit their aspirations to examination.”

Want Needs Giving Persons Philosophy Pleasure Study Seeds All Time Damn Aspiration Dislike Submit Accused Urgent Seekers Examination Bosoms Condemnation Idealistic Don't Give A Damn

Author:Allan Bloom

“To recognize that some of the things our culture believes are not true imposes on us the duty of finding out which are true and which are not.”

Believe Culture Duty Findings

Author:Allan Bloom

“Only when the true ends of society have nothing to do with the sublime does "culture" become necessary as a veneer to cover over the void. Culture can at best appreciate the monuments of earlier faith; it cannot produce them.”

Doe Ends Culture Produce Appreciate Void Sublime Monument Veneer

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“The distinction between private and public undermines the unity of spiritual strength, draining the public of the transcendent energies while trivializing them because the merely private life provides no proper stage for their action.”

Action Spiritual Energy Stage Unity Distinction Private Life Transcendent Draining Spiritual Strength

Author:Allan Bloom

“Intellectuals advertise their superiority to political practice but are absolutely in its thrall. It is no accident that Marxist theory and practice use the intellectuals as tools and keep them in brutal subservience.”

Use Political Practice Theory Tools Accidents Brutal Superiority Marxist Theory And Practice Subservience Marxist Theory

Author:Allan Bloom

“The distinction between the world of commerce and that of "culture" quickly became the distinction between infrastructure and superstructure, with the former clearly determining the latter.”

World Culture Former Distinction Latter Commerce Infrastructure

Author:Allan Bloom

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of property were just what Aristotle did not talk about. They are the conditions of happiness; but the essence of happiness, according to Aristotle, is virtue. So the moderns decided to deal with the conditions and to let happiness take care of itself.”

Care Deals Liberty Virtue Conditions Decided Essence Property Take Care Pursuit

Author:Allan Bloom

“The first discipline modernity's originators imposed upon themselves was that of self-restraint, learning to live with vulgarity. Their high expectations for effectiveness were made possible by low expectations of what was to be.”

Firsts Made Self Discipline Lows Expectations Restraint Effectiveness Modernity Vulgarity Self Restraint High Expectations Low Expectations

Author:Allan Bloom