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Quote by Gabrielle-Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil du Châtelet

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Reason, Illusion, and Passion: Philosophical Works

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Gabrielle-Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil du Châtelet

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“...but in the case of contingent truths, that is, when something can exist in different ways, and none of its determinations are more necessary than others, the need for another principle arises, since that of contradiction vanishes... this principle, on which all contingent truths depend, and which is no less primitive or universal than that of contradiction, is the principle of sufficient reason.”

“Among all books, those of reasoning seem the most susceptible of good translations. Reason and morality belong to all countries. The genius of language, this bane of translators, is less noticeable in books where only ideas have to be conveyed, and where style is not the first merit, whereas works of imagination can be rarely transmitted from one person to another, for, in order to translate a good poet, you would have to be as good a one as he.”

“— For my purpose I can work on at present by the light of one or two ideas of Aristotle and Aquinas. — I see. I quite see your point. — I need them only for my own use and guidance until I have done something for myself by their light. If the lamp smokes or smells I shall try to trim it. If it does not give light enough I shall sell it and buy another.”

“Using the tools developed by physicists in the last century, biologists in this century are poised to enact their own scientific revolution. Time will tell whether years from now another book will describe how "biologists changed the future." But on thing is for sure---we will not be able to embrace and participate in that future without the discipline, curiosity, questioning, and reasoning that science requires.”