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Philosopher Quotes

Browse 2040 quotes about Philosopher.

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Philosopher Quotes

“I hate ideologies of all kinds, so I avoid jargon. I've done enough philosophy to know that some specialized terms are really needed. I don't complain when Kant does it. Or when Aristotle introduces all kinds of new words; he needed them. But these other people [modern philosophers] are just obfuscating. It just makes me annoyed.”

PeopleKnowsKindDoeDoneEnoughPhilosophyHateTermModernNeededI HatePhilosopherComplainingAll KindsIdeologyIntroducingAnnoyedJargonNew Words
Author:William H. Gass
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“Contemporary philosophers are facing problems that were unthinkable only one century ago, such as whether space and time are mutually Independent, whether there is objective chance or only uncertainty, whether physics can explain chemical change, whether our behavior is fully determined by our genomes, whether ideation can change the brain, or whether either the economy or ideas are the ultimate roots of the social.”

IdeasProblemSocialChanceSpaceBrainEconomyCenturyBehaviorRootsUltimateIndependentPhilosopherDeterminedPhysicsObjectivesContemporaryUncertaintyChemicalsTime And SpaceUnthinkableGenomeIdeation
Author:Mario Bunge
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“Few if any political philosophers have had the courage of tackling the Cold War. Even the best of them have kept silent or have stated some bromides glossing over the serious shortcomings of "our" side, such as racism, social injustice, extreme income disparities, the exploitation of the Third World, and environmental degradation.”

IfsWorldWarPoliticalSocialSidesSeriousColdRacismThirdsSilentEnvironmentalInjusticePhilosopherExtremesIncomeExploitationCold WarShortcomingsDegradationThird WorldDisparityTacklingEnvironmental DegradationSocial Injustice
Author:Mario Bunge
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“The absolutist lays down the law, but the relativist hears only roaring and bawling. Or, when the relativist voice, as it is heard from philosophers such as Nietzsche or James, itself starts to grate and sounds shrill, as it often does, and when the relativist then offers concessions, the absolutist hears only insincerity. The war of words can often turn into a dialogue of the deaf, and this too if part of its power to arouse outrage and fury.”

IfsDoeWarLawTurnsSoundVoiceHeardOffersLaysPhilosopherDialogueDeafFuryOutrageRoaringConcessionsInsincerityAbsolutismGrate
Book:Truth: A Guide for the Perplexed: A Guide for the Perplexed
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“No matter how much we may study, it is not possible to come to know God unless we live according to His commandments, for God is not know by science, but by the Holy Spirit. Many philosophers and learned men came to the belief that God exists, but they did not know God. It is one thing to belief that God exists and another to know Him. If someone has come to know God by the Holy Spirit, his soul will burn with love for God day and night, and his soul cannot be bound to any earthly thing.”

IfsKnowsMenInspirationalMaySoulMatterChristianSpiritNightBeliefReligiousStudyOne ThingHolyBoundsPhilosopherGod LoveHoly SpiritOrthodoxCommandmentsKnowing GodDay And NightGod ExistsEarthly Things
Author:Silouan the Athonite
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“Tobacco, divine, rare, superexcellent tobacco, which goes far beyond all the panaceas, potable gold, and philosophers stones, a sovereign remedy to all diseases but as it is commonly abused by most men, which take it as tinkers do ale, 'Tis a plague, a mischief, a violent purger of goods, lands, health; hellish, devilish and damned tobacco, the ruin and overthrow of body and soul.”

MenSoulBodyLandDivineDiseaseStonesGoldPhilosopherViolentRuinsSmokingGoodsRemedySovereignPlagueTobaccoMischiefAleDevilishPanacea
Author:Robert A. Burton
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“Wine has been with us since the beginning of civilization. It is the temperate, civilized, sacred, romantic mealtime beverage recommended in the Bible. Wine has been praised for centuries by statesmen, philosophers, poets, and scholars. Wine in moderation is an integral part of our culture, heritage and gracious way of life.”

WayHas BeensCultureCenturyPoetCivilizationSacredWinePhilosopherCivilizedHeritageScholarModerationGraciousStatesmenBeverages
Author:Robert Mondavi
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“I believe that the Bible is to be understood and received in the plain and obvious meaning of its passages; for I cannot persuade myself that a book intended for the instruction and conversion of the whole world should cover its true meaning in any such mystery and doubt that none but critics and philosophers can discover it.”

WorldShouldBelieveBookWholeI BelieveDoubtMysteryUnderstoodBibleCriticsPhilosopherObviousConversionWhole WorldPassagesInstructionTrue Meaning
Book:The papers of Daniel Webster: Correspondence
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“Upon this point all speculative politicians will agree, that the happiness of society is the end of government, as all divines and moral philosophers will agree that the happiness of the individual is the end of man. From this principle it will follow that the form of government which communicates ease, comfort, security, or, in one word, happiness, to the greatest numbers of persons, and in the greatest degree, is the best. All sober inquirers after truth, ancient and modern, pagan and Christian, have declared that the happiness of man, as well as his dignity, consists in virtue.”

MenWellsPersonsEndsGovernmentChristianFormIndividualNumbersMoralPrinciplesVirtueModernSecurityDivinePoliticianComfortDegreesDignityAgreeAncientPhilosopherCommunicateEaseSoberOne WordPaganForms Of GovernmentInquirers
Book:The Works of John Adams: Controversial papers of the Revolution (continued) Works on government
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“The difference between the most dissimilar characters, between a philosopher and a common street porter, for example, seems to arise not so much from nature, as from habit, custom, and education.”

CharacterSeemsDifferencesCommonStreetsExampleHabitPhilosopherAriseCustomsWealth Of NationsDivision Of Labor
Book:An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations With a Life of the Author: Also a View of the Doctrine of Smith, Compared with that of the French Economists, with a Method of Facilitating the Study of His Works, from the French of M. Jariner
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“You know, there’s a philosopher who says, “As you live your life, it appears to be anarchy and chaos, and random events, non-related events, smashing into each other and causing this situation or that situation, and then, this happens, and it’s overwhelming, and it just looks like what in the world is going on ? And later, when you look back at it, it looks like a finely crafted novel. But at the time, it don’t.”

KnowsWorldLooksHappensSituationNovelEventsChaosPhilosopherRelatedOverwhelmingAnarchyLive Your LifeSmashingRandom Events
Author:Joe Walsh
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“If there is ever an amelioration of the condition of mankind, philosophers, theologians, legislators, politicians and moralists will find that the regulation of the press is the most difficult, dangerous and important problem they have to resolve. Mankind cannot now be governed without it, nor at present with it.”

IfsImportantProblemDifficultConditionsMankindDangerousDangerPoliticianPressesPhilosopherResolveRegulationTheologianLegislatorsMoralist
Book:The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations
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“All the persecutors declare against each other mortal war, while the philosopher, oppressed by them all, contents himself with pitying them.”

WarPhilosopherMortalsOppressed
Book:Voltaire – The Philosophical Works: Treatise On Tolerance, Philosophical Dictionary, Candide, Letters on England, Plato’s Dream, Dialogues, The Study of Nature, Ancient Faith and Fable, Zadig…: From the French writer, historian and philosopher, famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion and freedom of expression
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“Philosophers make imaginary laws for imaginary commonwealths, and their discourses are as the stars, which give little light because they are so high.”

GivingLittlesPhilosophyLightLawStarsPhilosopherImaginaryDiscourseCommonwealth
Book:The works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alban, and Lord High Chancellor of England, in five volumes
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“I believe that any individual who has spiritually awakened in our time, to the degree that he or she finds a higher and deeper motive for living, is going to be driven to fight the good fight in one way or another... And in order to fight the good fight, we have to engage, we have to get into the ring, not just stand outside it and be philosophers.”

WayBelieveOrderFightingIndividualI BelieveHigherDegreesPhilosopherDeeperDrivenRingsOne WayMotiveOur TimeStanding OutAwakenedGood FightFight The Good Fight
Author:Andrew Cohen
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“Constant happiness is the philosopher's stone of the soul.”

SoulStonesConstantPhilosopher
Book:Voltaire – The Philosophical Works: Treatise On Tolerance, Philosophical Dictionary, Candide, Letters on England, Plato’s Dream, Dialogues, The Study of Nature, Ancient Faith and Fable, Zadig…: From the French writer, historian and philosopher, famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion and freedom of expression
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“When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life. It means fear is no longer a dominant factor in what you do and no longer prevents you from taking action to initiate change. The Roman philosopher Tacitus rightly observed that 'the desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.' If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into aliveness, alertness and creativity.”

IfsMeanActionDesireTurnsCreativityPossibilityComfortableInfiniteSafetyPhilosopherNobleFactorsUncertaintyEnterpriseAcceptableDominantTaking ActionInitiateInfinite PossibilitiesAlertnessRoman Philosophers
Author:Eckhart Tolle
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“If cathedrals had been universities If dungeons of the Inquisition had been laboratories If Christians had believed in character instead of creed If they had taken from the bible only that which is GOOD and thrown away the wicked and absurd If temple domes had been observatories If priests had been philosophers If missionaries had taught useful arts instead of bible lore If astrology had been astronomy If the black arts had been chemistry If superstition had been science If religion had been humanity The world then would be a heaven filled with love, and liberty and joy”

IfsWorldArtCharacterWould BeChristianJoyHumanityHeavenBlackLibertyTakenTaughtFilledUniversityPhilosopherAstronomyAbsurdWickedThrownTemplesPriestsChemistrySuperstitionsCreedsAstrologyLaboratoryCathedralsInquisitionDungeonsDomesBlack Art
Author:Robert Green Ingersoll
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“In regard to the philosophers, if they be true philosophers, i.e., lovers of truth, they should not be irritated that the earth moves. Rather, if they realize that they have held a false belief, they should thank those have shown them the truth; and if their opinion stands firm that the earth doesn't move, they will have reason to boast than be angered.”

IfsShouldReasonEarthMovingBeliefRealizingOpinionLoversRegardPhilosopherBeing TrueFirmBoastIrritatedStand Firm
Author:Galileo Galilei
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“Philosophers, comedians, and tipsy birthday celebrants all have proposed theories about why time seems to move increasingly swiftly as we grow older. But the most disconcerting rationale is not a theory. It is the undeniable realization that every day we live constitutes a smaller percentage of the accrued experience with which we awaken each morning, and therefore seems proportionately a smidgen quicker and smaller than the day before.”

SeemsMovingGrowsMorningTheoryPhilosopherRealizationComedianPercentagesRationaleTipsy
Book:Apollo's Fire: A Journey Through the Extraordinary Wonders of an Ordinary Day
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“When artists and philosophers talk only amongst themselves, they ignore the potential of popular culture to become a variety of dialogues with and between everyday people. Its discourse may be productive of desire and pleasure, but popular culture is also a language in which people discuss politics, religion, ethics, and action.”

PeopleMayActionDesireArtistCultureLanguagePleasureEthicsEverydayPhilosopherDialogueVarietyProductiveDiscoursePopular Culture
Book:Utopian Entrepreneur
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