Quotes by Philosophers

History, a distillation of rumour. Thomas Carlyle

History Rumour

The true university of these days is a collection of books. Thomas Carlyle

Books Collection True Days University

Isolation is the sum total of wretchedness to a man. Thomas Carlyle

Man Isolation Sum Sum Total Total

Science is the knowledge of consequences, and dependence of one fact upon another. Thomas Hobbes

Knowledge Science Consequences Fact Another Dependence

The world is a living image of God. Tommaso Campanella

God World Living Image

Ignorance is the primary source of all misery and vice. Victor Cousin

Ignorance Misery Primary Primary Source Source Vice

It is widely assumed, contrary to fact, that theism necessarily involves the two assumptions which cannot be squared with the existence of so much suffering, and that therefore, per impossibile, they simply have to be squared with the existence of all this suffering, somehow. Walter Kaufmann

Suffering Assumed Assumptions Per Somehow Fact Simply Involves Existence Contrary Cannot Which Theism Much Therefore Necessarily Widely Two

I am more and more convinced that our happiness or our unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves. Wilhelm von Humboldt

Happiness Life Nature Events Meet Our Way Those More More And More Am Than Depends Unhappiness Far Themselves Convinced

To be is to be the value of a variable. Willard Van Orman Quine

Brainy Value Variable

The familiar material objects may not be all that is real, but they are admirable examples. Willard Van Orman Quine

Admirable Examples Objects Material Real Familiar May

The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths. William James

Enemy Rest Our Greatest Truths Any May

No matter how full a reservoir of maxims one may possess, and no matter how good one's sentiments may be, if one has not taken advantage of every concrete opportunity to act, one's character may remain entirely unaffected for the better. William James

Our errors are surely not such awfully solemn things. In a world where we are so certain to incur them in spite of all our caution, a certain lightness of heart seems healthier than this excessive nervousness on their behalf. William James

Heart World Our Solemn Nervousness Seems Spite Excessive Lightness Surely Healthier Caution Errors Than Behalf Where Them Certain Things

There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers. William James

Other Philosopher Philosophers One Thing Only Only One Thing Contradict Thing

Metaphysics means nothing but an unusually obstinate effort to think clearly. William James

Nothing Think Clearly Obstinate Unusually Metaphysics Effort Means

I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man. Zhuangzi

Dreams Man Dreaming Know Am Whether Then Now Butterfly

When you locate good in yourself, approve of it with determination. When you locate evil in yourself, despise it as something detestable. Xun Kuang

Good You Yourself Determination Evil Despise Approve Locate Something Detestable

There are successful scholars, public-spirited scholars, upright scholars, cautious scholars, and those who are merely petty men. Xun Kuang

Men Petty Those Scholars Merely Cautious Upright Successful Who

A person is born with desires of the eyes and ears, and a liking for beautiful sights and sounds. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to immorality and lack of restriction, and any ritual principles and propriety will be abandoned. Xun Kuang

Beautiful Eyes Will Ears Way Sights Abandoned Immorality Born Restriction Gives Ritual Lead He Propriety Liking Him Principles Sounds Person Any Lack Them Desires