The courage of the truth is the first condition of philosophic study.
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) German Philosopher
I’m a philosophy major. That means I can think deep thoughts about being unemployed
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
Philosophy is written in this grand book – I mean the Universe – which stands continually open to our gaze, but it cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and interpret the characters in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles and other geometrical figures, without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it
—Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) Italian Astronomer, Physicist, Mathematician
The first business of a philosopher is, to part with self-conceit.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Philosophy is the product of wonder.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
The proper method of philosophy consists in clearly conceiving the insoluble problems in all their insolubility and then in simply contemplating them, fixedly and tirelessly, year after year, without any hope, patiently waiting.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
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
History is Philosophy teaching by examples.
—Thucydides (c.455?c.400 BCE) Greek Historian
Prayer carries us half-way to God, fasting brings us to the door of his palace, and alms-giving procures us admission.
—The Holy Quran Sacred Scripture of Islam
Philosophers are only men in armor after all.
—Charles Dickens (1812–70) English Novelist
Pythagoras, Locke, Socrates—but pages might be filled up, as vainly as before, with the sad usage of all sorts of sages, who in his life-time, each was deemed a bore! The loftiest minds outrun their tardy ages.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
It is easy for men to write and talk like philosophers, but to act with wisdom, there is the rub!
—Antoine de Rivarol (1753–1801) French Writer, Epigrammatist
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! Empty thinking by ignorant conceited men who think they can digest without eating!
—Iris Murdoch (1919–99) British Novelist, Playwright, Philosopher
Philosophy goes no further than probabilities, and in every assertion keeps a doubt in reserve.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
To ridicule philosophy is really to philosophize
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for dying and death.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there?
—Harold Pinter (1930–2008) British Playwright
There’s a difference between a philosophy and a bumper sticker.
—Charles M. Schulz (1922–2000) American Cartoonist, Writer, Artist
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
Four thousand volumes of metaphysics will not teach us what the soul is.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Of what use is a philosopher who doesn’t hurt anybody’s feelings?
—Diogenes Laertius (f.3rd Century CE) Biographer of the Greek Philosophers
When he who hears does not know what he who speaks means, and when he who speaks does not know what he himself means, that is philosophy.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Philosophy has been called the knowledge of our knowledge; it might more truly be called the knowledge of our ignorance, or in the language of Kant, the knowledge of the limits of our knowledge.
—Max Muller (1823–1900) German-Born British Philologist, Orientalist
All men desire to know
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Christianity is a philosophy of principles rather than of rules and so is fitted for universal extension and acceptance.
—Tryon Edwards (1809–94) American Theologian, Author
Philosophy always requires something more, requires the eternal, the true, in contrast to which even the fullest existence as such is but a happy moment.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
Bad philosophers may have a certain influence; good philosophers, never.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
Leave a Reply