Quotes by Philosophers

Better mad with the rest of the world than wise alone. Baltasar Gracian

Wisdom Alone Wise World Better Rest Mad Than

Even knowledge has to be in the fashion, and where it is not, it is wise to affect ignorance. Baltasar Gracian

Fashion Knowledge Wise Ignorance Affect Where Even

I strive to be brief, and I become obscure. Baltasar Gracian

Become Strive Obscure Brief

Fortune pays you sometimes for the intensity of her favors by the shortness of their duration. She soon tires of carrying any one long on her shoulders. Baltasar Gracian

You Sometimes Long Carrying Favors Soon She Duration Any Intensity Tires Shortness Shoulders Fortune Pays Her

There is none who cannot teach somebody something, and there is none so excellent but he is excelled. Baltasar Gracian

Somebody Something Excelled Excellent He None Cannot Teach Who

Have friends. 'Tis a second existence. Baltasar Gracian

Existence Friends Tis Second

Let the first impulse pass, wait for the second. Baltasar Gracian

Wait First Pass Impulse Second

Luck can be assisted. It is not all chance with the wise. Baltasar Gracian

Wise Luck Assisted Chance

Quit while you're ahead. All the best gamblers do. Baltasar Gracian

Best You Quit While Gamblers

Men govern nothing with more difficulty than their tongues, and can moderate their desires more than their words. Baruch Spinoza

Words Men Nothing Difficulty More Govern Than Moderate Tongues Desires

He alone is free who lives with free consent under the entire guidance of reason. Baruch Spinoza

Alone Guidance Free Entire He Reason Who Lives Consent

Blessedness is not the reward of virtue but virtue itself. Baruch Spinoza

Reward Virtue Blessedness Itself

Among politicians the esteem of religion is profitable; the principles of it are troublesome. Benjamin Whichcote

Religion Politicians Troublesome Principles Esteem Among Profitable

The longest sword, the strongest lungs, the most voices, are false measures of truth. Benjamin Whichcote

Truth Strongest Voices Longest Most False Measures Sword Lungs

I was attracted to opera when I was 15 or 16. A very rich man in England bankrupted himself to put on a lot of opera during the war, but he converted a lot of people, myself included, in the process. Bernard Williams

War Myself Man People Rich He Put Attracted Opera Himself Lot Very Process Converted Rich Man England Included

'Humanity' is a name not merely for a species but also for a quality. Bernard Williams

Quality Humanity Merely Name Also Species

The truth is that we all have to do more things than we can rightly do, if we are to do anything at all. Bernard Williams

Truth Truth Is Rightly More Than Anything Things

A friend is a lot of things, but a critic isn't. Bernard Williams

Critic Lot Friend Things

An extravagance is something that your spirit thinks is a necessity. Bernard Williams

Extravagance Spirit Something Your Necessity Thinks

I was interested in philosophy before I knew I was. That's to say, when I was at school, I used to argue with my friends about issues that turned out to be philosophical ones of some kind. Bernard Williams

School Before Philosophical Philosophy Say Out Kind Some About Argue Knew Issues Friends Interested Turned Used

Virtually the only subject in which one could ever get a scholarship to Oxford or Cambridge was classics. So I went to Oxford to study classics and, unlike Cambridge, it had a philosophy component, and I became completely transported by it. Bernard Williams

Virtually Unlike Philosophy Component Classics Only Could Had Scholarship Study Became Cambridge Subject Get Oxford Which Ever

People have been predicting the death of philosophy since the 17th century. When I was a student, people were saying, 'We're in the last days of philosophy.' Then we were told in the '60s it would be replaced by sociology, then by literary criticism. Bernard Williams

There is no need to worry about mere size. We do not necessarily respect a fat man more than a thin man. Sir Isaac Newton was very much smaller than a hippopotamus, but we do not on that account value him less. Bertrand Russell

Man Respect Value Worry About More Smaller Mere Him Isaac Hippopotamus Very Account Sir Than Size Much Newton Less Thin Necessarily Fat Fat Man Need