Philosophy Quotes

Questions about meaning, existence, and truth from thinkers who spent their lives searching for answers.

43879 quotes

C
"To live well is to live according to reason and nature; to live poorly is to follow blind passions."
Claude Adrien Helvetius
C
"Every action has a moral quality; nothing is truly indifferent in the realm of human conduct."
Claude Adrien Helvetius
C
"The greatest commandment is to seek the happiness of all humanity, not merely our own narrow interests."
Claude Adrien Helvetius
C
"The test of any philosophy is whether it leads to greater human happiness and virtue."
Claude Adrien Helvetius
J
"In mathematics, as in life, simplicity is often the mark of profound understanding."
Joseph-Louis Lagrange
J
"Science and philosophy are sisters born of the same desire to understand."
Joseph-Louis Lagrange
G
"To understand the present, we must study the past."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
G
"The pursuit of perfection is imperfect."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
G
"Philosophy is the love of wisdom and truth."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
C
"Nature's order reflects eternal principles."
Carl Linnaeus
C
"Every classification is a prayer to understanding."
Carl Linnaeus
C
"To study nature is to study the architecture of existence."
Carl Linnaeus
C
"The system I propose is a framework, not a prison."
Carl Linnaeus
C
"Every creature is a meditation on purpose."
Carl Linnaeus
P
"Morality without reason is merely habit; reason without morality is mere calculation."
Paul-Henri Thiry Holbach
P
"The body is not sinful; sin is the invention of those who fear the body."
Paul-Henri Thiry Holbach
P
"The soul is not separate from the body; they are one unified system of nature."
Paul-Henri Thiry Holbach
P
"The body's desires are not sins; the denial of them is the true perversion."
Paul-Henri Thiry Holbach
J
"I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist without a clockmaker."
Jean d'Alembert
J
"Philosophy asks the questions that science answers."
Jean d'Alembert
"Sensation is the foundation of all intellectual operations and moral sentiments."
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac
"We are all philosophers when we truly examine the nature of our perceptions."
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac
"Understanding the nature of sensation is understanding the nature of human existence."
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac
"The beginning of wisdom is the acknowledgment that all knowledge flows from sensation."
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac
"One must never compromise their principles for the sake of convenience."
Émilie du Châtelet
"I believe that each person has a unique contribution to make to society."
Émilie du Châtelet
"One must learn to embrace uncertainty as a part of the human experience."
Émilie du Châtelet
"I believe that every person deserves respect and dignity."
Émilie du Châtelet
J
"I believe that the order we find in nature reflects an order within ourselves."
Joseph-Louis Lagrange
J
"The life of a mathematician is a constant dialogue with the infinite."
Joseph-Louis Lagrange