To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice
— Analects, Chapter 2
Confucius underscores the importance of aligning one's actions with ethical knowledge, a cornerstone in Confucian philosophy emphasizing moral behavior.
Wisdom Category
Philosophy Quotes
Deep thoughts from history's greatest thinkers about life and existence
15 Curated Quotes
The only thing I know is that I know nothing.
— Plato, Apology 21d
Socrates emphasizes his humility and philosophical inquiry by acknowledging the limits of his knowledge.
To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.
— Creative Evolution
Bergson proposes that true evolution comes from internal transformation and continuous personal development.
Man is condemned to be free.
— Existentialism is a Humanism (1946)
Sartre describes the responsibility that comes with human freedom and the weight it carries.
The mind is everything. What you think, you become
— Dhammapada, Chapter 1
Buddha illustrates the transformative power of mindset, encouraging mindfulness and positive thinking as paths to enlightenment.
Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.
— Philosophical Investigations
In 'Philosophical Investigations', Wittgenstein dives deep into the nature of language and how it shapes our understanding of the world.
I think, therefore I am.
— Discourse on the Method, Part IV
Descartes presents this as the foundational statement in the process of philosophical reasoning and doubt.
Happiness depends upon ourselves
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
Aristotle emphasizes individual responsibility for achieving happiness, linking it to virtuous living and the fulfillment of one's potential.
That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.
— Interviews and Debates
Critiquing the need for evidence in establishing beliefs, Hitchens challenges commonly held assertions without empirical backing.
The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it
— A maxim by Epicurus, often highlighting resilience in his teachings
Epicurus conveys that true accomplishment and fulfillment arise from overcoming challenges, aligning with the pursuit of personal happiness in his philosophy.
The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.
— Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
Wittgenstein suggests that our perception and understanding are bound by the language we use to describe them.
One cannot step twice in the same river.
— Fragment 41, DK22B41
Heraclitus uses this metaphor to illustrate the constant flux and change inherent in reality.
To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult
— Various Goethe works acknowledge this thought
Goethe explores the gap between intention and action, pressing on the importance of integrity and consistent action in philosophy.
We live in the best of all possible worlds.
— Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil
Leibniz discussed optimism and attempted to reconcile faith and reason in this pivotal philosophical work.
The unexamined life is not worth living.
— Plato, Apology 38a
Socrates asserts that reflection and self-examination are essential to a meaningful life.