“...But nature does not say that cats are more valuable than mice; nature makes no remark on the subject. She does not even say that the cat is enviable or the mouse pitiable. We think the cat superior because we have (or most of us have) a particular philosophy to the effect that life is better than death. But if the mouse were a German pessimist mouse, he might not think that the cat had beaten him at all. He might think he had beaten the cat by getting to the grave first.” IfsThinkingFirstsDoePhilosophyMightLife IsSubjectsEffectsParticularCatValuableGravesSuperiorsMiceBeatenRemarksPessimist Book:The Essential Gilbert K. Chesterton Source: The Essential Gilbert K. Chesterton
“Let the answers be wrong, let the philosophy be mistaken - errors are more valuable than truths: truth is of the machine, error is alive; truth reassures, error disturbs.” InspirationalArtPhilosophyLiteratureAnswersAliveTruth IsMachinesErrorsValuableMistaken Author:Yevgeny Zamyatin
“There is a ... matter - much more valuable and divine than natural philosophy . ... On this matter I must speak to you in enigmas.” MatterPhilosophySpeakNaturalDivineValuableEnigmaNatural Philosophy Author:Plato
“Many of the greatest works of philosophy seem to me to be valuable not because of their arguments, but because they offer us perspectives that open up new possibilities. They show us how we might start in different places, and not buy into the assumptions tacitly made on the first pages of the philosophical works that have influenced us.” FirstsMadeDifferentPhilosophyShowsSeemsMightPossibilityPerspectiveOffersPagesArgumentPhilosophicalValuableAssumptionDifferent PlaceNew Possibilities Author:Philip Kitcher
“Philosophy by showing - including philosophy in literature - does truly valuable work in leading us to new perspectives from which our arguments can then begin. It does so by introducing new synthetic complexes, which we then reflect on from various points of view. When the complexes survive and grow, that initial showing has been philosophically decisive.” DoeHas BeensPhilosophyLiteratureGrowsViewsPerspectiveArgumentComplexesIncludingVariousValuablePoint Of ViewIntroducingInitialsSyntheticNew PerspectiveIntroducing New Author:Philip Kitcher