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Spirit Quotes

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Spirit Quotes

“The spirit of Plato dies hard. We have been unable to escape the philosophical tradition that what we can see and measure in the world is merely the superficial and imperfect representation of an underlying reality.”

World Has Beens Hard Philosophy Reality Spirit Dies Tradition Philosophical Imperfect Representation Superficial Plato

Book:The Mismeasure of Man (Revised & Expanded)

Source: The Mismeasure of Man (Revised & Expanded)

“Philip Kitcher has composed the most formidable defense of the secular view of life since Dewey. Unlike almost all of contemporary atheism, Life After Faith is utterly devoid of cartoons and caricatures of religion. It is, instead, a sober and soulful book, an exemplary practice of philosophical reflection. Scrupulous in its argument, elegant in its style, humane in its spirit, it is animated by a stirring aspiration to wisdom. Even as I quarrel with it I admire it.”

“The philosopher forms his principles on an infinity of particular observations. He does not confuse truth with plausibility, he takes for truth what is true, for false what is false, for doubtful what is doubtful, and probable what is probable. The philosophical spirit is thus a spirit of observation and accuracy.”

Doe Form Spirit Principles Particular Philosophical Philosopher Observation Infinity Objectivity Accuracy Doubtful

Author:Denis Diderot

“Pragmatism ... reflects with almost disarming candor the spirit of the prevailing business culture, the very same attitude of 'being practical' as counter to which philosophical meditation as such was conceived.”

Spirit Culture Attitude Meditation Philosophical Practicals Prevailing Pragmatism Candor Disarming

Book:Eclipse of Reason

Source: Eclipse of Reason

“Science remains the author of our major problem, in its gift of tremendous power that has been terribly abused; but for the wise use of this power we need more, not less, of the objective dispassionate scientific spirit. For our philosophical purposes we need more of its integrity and its basic humility, its respect at once for the fact and the mystery.”

Needs Has Beens Facts Use Problem Spirit Purpose Wise Mystery Atheism Humility Integrity Majors Philosophical Remains Positive Atheism Objectives Major Problems Dispassionate

Author:Herbert J. Muller

“A history of civilization shares the presumptuousness of every philosophical enterprise: it offers the ridiculous spectacle of a fragment expounding the whole. Like philosophy, such a venture has no rational excuse, and is at best but a brave stupidity; but let us hope that, like philosophy, it will always lure some rash spirits into its fatal depths.”

Philosophy Whole Spirit Share Civilization Offers Philosophical Brave Depth Excuse Stupidity Ridiculous Rational Enterprise Venture Fragments Lure

Book:Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization

Source: Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization

“Pantagruelism is a certain gaitey of the spirit consisting in a disdain for the hazards of fortune.”

Spirit Certain Philosophical Fortune Stoicism Hazards Disdain

Author:Francois Rabelais

“It was modesty that invented the word "philosopher" in Greece and left the magnificent overweening presumption in calling oneselfwise to the actors of the spirit--the modesty of such monsters of pride and sovereignty as Pythagoras, as Plato.”

Wisdom Spirit Actors Left Pride Calling Philosophical Philosopher Monsters Modesty Magnificent Plato Sovereignty Greece Presumption

Book:The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs

Source: The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs

“In philosophical inquiry, the human spirit, imitating the movement of the stars, must follow a curve which brings it back to its point of departure. To conclude is to close a circle.”

Thinking Humans Spirit Stars Movement Philosophical Circles Thoughtful Inquiry Curves Human Spirit Departure Imitating

Author:Charles Baudelaire