Why, ever since Adam, who has got to the meaning of this great allegory—the world? Then we pygmies must be content to have out paper allegories but ill comprehended.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
Art requires philosophy, just as philosophy requires art. Otherwise, what would become of beauty?
—Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) French Post-Impressionist Painter
When philosophers try to be politicians they generally cease to be philosophers.
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American Journalist, Political Commentator
How very paltry and limited the normal human intellect is, and how little lucidity there is in the human consciousness, may be judged from the fact that, despite the ephemeral brevity of human life, the uncertainty of our existence and the countless enigmas which press upon us from all sides, everyone does not continually and ceaselessly philosophize, but that only the rarest of exceptions do.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
Philosophy may be dodged, eloquence cannot.
—Edgar Quinet (1803–75) French Historian, Poet
In the information age, you don’t teach philosophy as they did after feudalism. You perform it. If Aristotle were alive today, he’d have a talk show.
—Timothy Leary (1920–96) American Psychologist, Author
Philosophy is the product of wonder.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
We are much beholden to Machiavelli and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Tell me what gives a man or woman their greatest pleasure and I’ll tell you their philosophy of life.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
All philosophies, if you ride them home, are nonsense, but some are greater nonsense than others.
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902) British Victorian Novelist, Essayist, Critic
In it he proves that all things are true and states how the truths of all contradictions may be reconciled physically, such as for example that white is black and black is white; that one can be and not be at the same time; that there can be hills without valleys; that nothingness is something and that everything, which is, is not. But take note that he proves all these unheard-of paradoxes without any fallacious or sophistical reasoning.
—Cyrano de Bergerac (1619–55) French Soldier, Duelist, Writer
As an example of just how useless these philosophers are for any practice in life there is Socrates himself, the one and only wise man, according to the Delphic Oracle. Whenever he tried to do anything in public he had to break off amid general laughter. While he was philosophizing about clouds and ideas, measuring a flea’s foot and marveling at a midge’s humming, he learned nothing about the affairs of ordinary life.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there?
—Harold Pinter (1930–2008) British Playwright
To be a real philosopher all that is necessary is to hate some one else’s type of thinking.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Perhaps it is of more value to infuriate philosophers than to go along with them.
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American Poet
It is one of the chief skills of the philosopher not to occupy himself with questions which do not concern him.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-born British Philosopher
There is today-in a time when old beliefs are withering-a kind of philosophical hunger, a need to know who we are and how we got here. It is an on-going search, often unconscious, for a cosmic perspective for humanity.
—Carl Sagan (1934–96) American Astronomer
The usual picture of Socrates is of an ugly little plebeian who inspired a handsome young nobleman to write long dialogues on large topics.
—Richard Rorty (1931–2007) American Philosopher
Truth in philosophy means that concept and external reality correspond.
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) German Philosopher
All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
If he does really think that there is no distinction between virtue and vice, why, Sir, when he leaves our houses let us count our spoons.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder.
—Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) Italian Catholic Priest, Philosopher, Theologian
If I wished to punish a province, I would have it governed by philosophers.
—Frederick II of Prussia (1712–86) King of Prussia, Military Strategist
Englishmen are babes in philosophy and so prefer faction-fighting to the labor of its unfamiliar thought.
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) Irish Poet, Dramatist
Then, like an old-time orator impressively he rose; I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.
—Sara Teasdale (1884–1933) American Poet
Every philosophy is the philosophy of some stage of life.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
In philosophy if you aren’t moving at a snail’s pace you aren’t moving at all.
—Iris Murdoch (1919–99) British Novelist, Playwright, Philosopher
The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
Keep quiet and people will think you a philosopher.
—Unknown
To have no time for philosophy is to be a true philosopher.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
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