Philosophy Quotes

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

43879 quotes

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"Society exists objectively, independent of any individual's wishes or perceptions."
Émile Durkheim
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"Collective consciousness is not the sum of individual consciousnesses but something entirely new."
Émile Durkheim
�
"Morality is binding on us not because of rational argument but because it expresses collective will."
Émile Durkheim
A
"The brain does not keep separate accounts for different types of events."
Amos Tversky
A
"Rational decision making is not how humans actually make decisions."
Amos Tversky
A
"People are better at detecting invalid arguments they disagree with than ones they agree with."
Amos Tversky
A
"Value is relative, not absolute."
Amos Tversky
A
"Moral intuitions are often stronger than explicit reasoning."
Amos Tversky
A
"Preferences are not always consistent."
Amos Tversky
H
"Action is the only reality; not only reality but morality as well."
Harriet Martineau
H
"To live without philosophy is to live asleep."
Harriet Martineau
H
"We must learn to think of our common humanity before our national differences."
Harriet Martineau
H
"We are shaped not by our circumstances, but by our response to them."
Harriet Martineau
H
"We are all citizens of a larger humanity; let us act accordingly."
Harriet Martineau
C
"Philosophy asks the questions; life provides the answers."
Christopher Peterson
C
"Meaning is not found; it is created."
Christopher Peterson
C
"Philosophy is thinking clearly about living well."
Christopher Peterson
H
"Action and reaction are equal and opposite."
Herbert Spencer
H
"Every action has its consequences; we are bound to face them."
Herbert Spencer
H
"The power of an idea depends upon its truth and its timeliness."
Herbert Spencer
H
"The pursuit of power corrupts; the pursuit of truth ennobles."
Herbert Spencer
M
"The self is not something we are born with. It is continually created as we interact with the world around us."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
M
"The meaning of life is not something hidden, waiting for discovery, but something created by each individual through living."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
M
"The self is something to be created, not discovered."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
M
"The structure of the self is determined by the systems of goals one has internalized."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
M
"The purpose of positive psychology is to help you build a life worth living."
Martin Seligman
R
"Cultural differences in how people think about the self are profound and often overlooked"
Roy Baumeister
R
"People use possessions as extensions of their identity and sense of self"
Roy Baumeister
R
"Meaning-making is as essential to human wellbeing as food and shelter"
Roy Baumeister
R
"Cultural differences in individualism shape how people experience and express emotions"
Roy Baumeister