“But, after all, the sciences have made progress, because philosophers have applied themselves with more attention to observe, and have communicated to their language that precision and accuracy which they have employed in their observations: In correcting their language they reason better.” MadeReasonLanguageAttentionProgressPhilosopherObservationEmployedAccuracyPrecisionCorrecting Author:Etienne Bonnot de Condillac
“Philosophers are not honest enough in their work, although they make a lot of virtuous noise when the problem of truthfulness is touched even remotely. They all pose as if they had discovered and reached their real opinions through the self-development of a cold, pure, divinely unconcerned dialectic...; while at bottom it is an assumption, a hunch, indeed a kind of "inspiration" most often a desire of the heart that has been filtered and made abstract that they defend with reasons they have sought after the fact.” IfsHeartKindHas BeensMadeRealSelfReasonEnoughPhilosophyFactsProblemInspirationDesireOpinionHonestColdDevelopmentPureBottomPhilosopherNoiseAbstractAssumptionTouchedVirtuousSelf DevelopmentTruthfulnessHunchesDialecticsUnconcernedNot Honest Author:Friedrich Nietzsche
“Jefferson refused to pin his hopes on the occasional success of honest and unambitious men; on the contrary, the great danger was that philosophers would be lulled into complacence by the accidental rise of a Franklin or a Washington. Any government which made the welfare of men depend on the character of their governors was an illusion.” MenMadeCharacterGovernmentWould BeHonestDangerDependsIllusionPhilosopherContraryWelfareGovernorsPinsOccasionalFranklin Book:The Lost World of Thomas Jefferson Source: The Lost World of Thomas Jefferson
“The inspiration of a single book has made preachers, poets, philosophers, authors, and statesmen. On the other hand, the demoralization of a single book has sometimes made infidels, profligates, and criminals.” MadeBookSometimesHandsInspirationPoetPhilosopherCriminalsPreacherStatesmenInfidelDemoralization Book:Rising in the World, Or Architects of Fate Source: Rising in the World, Or Architects of Fate
“The palmist looks at the wrinkles made by closing the hand and says they signify character. The philosopher reads character by what the hand most loves to close upon.” LooksMadeCharacterHandsPhilosopherClosingWrinkles Book:A Cynic Looks at Life Source: A Cynic Looks at Life