97 Quotes About Philosophers

The amelioration of society was the very thing Philosophers had most at heart, and surely it was eminently fitting that they should be called in to tutor princes.

Upon the whole, I am inclined to think that the far greater part, if not all, of those difficulties which have hitherto amused philosophers, and blocked up the way to knowledge, are entirely owing to ourselves--that we have first raised a dust and then complain we cannot see.

It may be remarked incidentally that the contentions of philosophers are often much more justifiable when they are arguing against other philosophers than when they pass on to expound their own views, and as each one generally sees fairly clearly the defects of the others, they more or less destroy one another mutually.

What can a philosopher show for himself? His life. If someone writes a book, but it is not accompanied by a philosophical life, it is not worth our time. Wisdom is measured in details: it is found in what one says and doesn't say, what one does and doesn't do, what one thinks and doesn't think.

...the philosopher's professional addiction to furniture...

Fireworks: we shoot them off gaily while our dogs hide under the bed. Philosophers are dogs!

He sensed Death with a depth and clarity of which only small children or great philosophers are capable, philosophers who are themselves almost childlike in the power and simplicity of their thinking.