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Philosophy Quotes

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Philosophy Quotes

“Here is the beginning of philosophy: a recognition of the conflicts between men, a search for their cause, a condemnation of mere opinion .. . and the discovery of a standard of judgement.”

Men Philosophy Causes Opinion Conflict Standards Discovery Mere Recognition Judgement Condemnation

Author:Epictetus

“When scientists need to explain difficult points of theory, illustration by hypothetical example - rather than by total abstraction - works well (perhaps indispensably) as a rhetorical device. Such cases do not function as speculations in the pejorative sense - as silly stories that provide insight into complex mechanisms - but rather as idealized illustrations to exemplify a difficult point of theory. (Other fields, like philosophy and the law, use such conjectural cases as a standard device.”

Source: Leonardo's Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worms

“Under the old social philosophy which had governed the Middle Ages, temporal, and therefore all economic, activities were referred to an eternal standard. The production of wealth, it distribution and exchange were regulated with a view to securing the Christian life of Christian men. In two points especially was this felt: First in securing the independence of the family, which can only be done by the wide distribution of property, in others words the prevention of the growth of a proletariat; secondly, in the close connection between wealth and public function.”

“Religion does what philosophy could never do; it shows the equal dealings of Heaven to the happy and the unhappy, and levels all human enjoyments to nearly the same standard. It gives to both rich and poor the same happiness hereafter, and equal hopes to aspire after it.”

Giving Humans Doe Philosophy Shows Religion Heaven Poor Levels Rich Equal Standards Unhappy Enjoyment Aspire Hereafter Rich And Poor Dealings

Book:The works of Oliver Goldsmith: Vicar of Wakefield, select poems and comedies, with intr., notes and a life by J.F. Waller

Source: The works of Oliver Goldsmith: Vicar of Wakefield, select poems and comedies, with intr., notes and a life by J.F. Waller

“Philosophy is an odd thing... There is no particular Socratic or Dimechian or Kantian way to live your life. They don't offer ethical codes and standards by which to live your life.”

Way Philosophy Particular Offers Standards Code Odd Ethical Live Your Life Way To Live Odd Things Socratic

Author:Stephen Fry

“The scriptures, for example, discredit an ancient philosophy that has come back into vogue in our day-the philosophy of Korihor that there are no absolute moral standards, that "every man prospers according to his genius, and that every man conquers according to his strength; and whatsoever a man does is no crime" and "that when a man is dead, that is the end thereof".”

Men Doe Ends Philosophy Moral Crime Example Genius Standards Absolutes Ancient Every Man Scripture Conquer Vogue Discredit Absolutism Ancient Philosophy

Author:D. Todd Christofferson

“Progress, then, is a property of the evolution of life as a whole by almost any conceivable intuitive standard.... let us not pretend to deny in our philosophy what we know in our hearts to be true.”

Knows Heart Philosophy Whole Progress Evolution Standards Property Deny Being True Intuitive Evolution Of Life

Author:E. O. Wilson

“When we call something unfair or indecent or unconscionable or evil, when we speak of mercy and pity and compassion, those words have meaning, regardless of our particular faith or moral philosophy. They appeal to common standards we all are expected to understand and accept, standards without which we could not live any common life at all.”

Philosophy Evil Speak Common Compassion Accepting Moral Particular Standards Mercy Expected Pity Appeals Unfair Moral Philosophy Common Life

Book:Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy

Source: Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy

“Can reason be an idol? Certainly. The philosophy of rationalism puts human reason in the place of God as the source and standard of all truth.”

Humans Reason Philosophy Source Standards Idols Rationalism Human Reason

Book:Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes

Source: Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes

“In elaborating how "philosophy by showing" works, and in defending the idea that literature and music can contribute to philosophical "showing", I am also doing something more standardly philosophical. But I view most of the book as an interweaving of philosophy and literary criticism. If that entails a broadening of a standard idea of philosophy, it's a broadening I'd like to see happen.”

Ifs Book Ideas Philosophy Happens Literature Views Standards Criticism Philosophical Literary Criticism Literature And Music

Author:Philip Kitcher

“We've lost a lot of coaches around here, but the philosophy and the approach, the standards we have set and the expectations we have maintained have always been upheld from one year to the next.I attribute that to the great character of the players and the willingness of the coaches to not get influenced and get off-message and to get out of the way.”

Way Years Philosophy Character Next Lost Player Approach Messages Standards Expectations Coaches Willingness Attributes Great Character

Author:Pete Carroll