Four thousand volumes of metaphysics will not teach us what the soul is.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people’s minds
—Frank Zappa (1940–93) American Rock Guitarist, Singer, Composer
The courage of the truth is the first condition of philosophic study.
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) German Philosopher
Philosophers should consider the fact that the greatest happiness principle can easily be made an excuse for a benevolent dictatorship. We should replace it by a more modest and more realistic principle—the principle that the fight against avoidable misery should be a recognized aim of public policy, while the increase of happiness should be left, in the main, to private initiative.
—Karl Popper (1902–94) Austrian-born British Philosopher
When he to whom a person speaks does not understand, and he who speaks does not understand himself, that is metaphysics.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
The real discovery is the one which enables me to stop doing philosophy when I want to.—The one that gives philosophy peace, so that it is no longer tormented by questions which bring itself into question.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-born British Philosopher
The philosopher proves that the philosopher exists. The poet merely enjoys existence.
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American Poet
The man of science is a poor philosopher.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Why is it that you physicists always require so much expensive equipment? Now the Department of Mathematics requires nothing but money for paper, pencils, and erasers…and the Department of Philosophy is better still. It doesn’t even ask for erasers
—Isaac Asimov (1920–92) Russian-born American Writer, Scientist
The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because philosophy is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.
—John W. Gardner (1912–2002) American Activist
To live alone one must be a beast or a god, says Aristotle. Leaving out the third case: one must be both – a philosopher
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
May you live every day of your life.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
True philosophy is that which makes us to ourselves and to all about us, better; and at the same time, more content, patient, calm, and more ready for all decent and pure enjoyment.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
Philosophy is doubt.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
An unexamined life is not worth living.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
What do you know and how do you know it
—Ayn Rand (1905–82) Russian-born American Novelist, Philosopher
The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Sublime philosophy! thou art the patriarch’s ladder, reaching heaven and bright with beckoning angels; but, alas’ we see thee, like the patriarch, but in dreams, by the first step, dull slumbering on the earth.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
When philosophers try to be politicians they generally cease to be philosophers.
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American Journalist, Political Commentator, Writer
Philosophy consists very largely of one philosopher arguing that all others are jackasses. He usually proves it, and I should add that he also usually proves that he is one himself.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there?
—Harold Pinter (1930–2008) British Playwright
If I wished to punish a province, I would have it governed by philosophers.
—Frederick II of Prussia (1712–86) Prussian Monarch
This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.
—John Muir (1838–1914) Scottish-born American Naturalist
The natural philosophers are mostly gone. We modern scientists are adding too many decimals
—Martin H. Fischer
The philosopher is Nature’s pilot. And there you have our difference: to be in hell is to drift: to be in heaven is to steer.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.
—Carl Sagan (1934–96) American Astronomer
Man’s Search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a ‘secondary rationalization’ of instinctual drives. This meaning is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone; only then does it achieve a significance which will satisfy his own will to meaning… Man, however, is able to live and even to die for the sake of his ideals and values!
—Viktor Frankl (1905–97) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist
Philosophy can add to our happiness in no other manner but by diminishing our misery; it should not pretend to increase our present stock, but make us economists of what we are possessed of. Happy were we all born philosophers; all born with a talent of thus dissipating our own cares by spreading them upon all mankind.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
To a philosopher no circumstance, however trifling, is too minute.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
The traditional disputes of philosophers are, for the most part, as unwarranted as they are unfruitful.
—A. J. Ayer (1910–89) English Philosopher