Wisdom Quotes

"The greatest achievement of the human mind is the understanding that the world is very strange and beautiful."

"The pursuit of the ideal is the enemy of the good."

"No perfect answer can ever be given to questions about how men should live."

"Certainty is the enemy of wisdom."

"Compromise is everywhere; it is the only way to get things done."

"You cannot make omelettes without breaking eggs, but you may break eggs without making omelettes."

"We should not use others merely as means."

"Our intuitions about justice are often confused."

"We must respect the autonomy of others."

"We should be skeptical of grand political theories."

"We must think deeply about what we deserve."

"The concept of fairness is more complex than it appears."

"Liberty and justice must be carefully balanced."

"Reason divorced from emotion becomes a tool of domination."

"To think is to think against the tide of administered conformity."

"Reason itself must be subjected to rational critique."

"Understanding and forgiving are not the same, but they are intimately related."

"Man is born for action, thought is only a preparation for action."

"Consciousness is the most precious human gift and the one we most take for granted."

"Compassion is often the sign of a weak mind unable to grasp the justice of a situation."

"Primary goods are things that rational people desire as prerequisites for pursuing their life plans."

"Citizens must be willing to propose and abide by fair terms of cooperation."

"The good society makes room for diverse conceptions of the good life."

"Fair procedures are necessary but not sufficient for justice in social institutions."

"The exception proves the rule by showing what the rule presupposes."

"The rule persists only so long as the exception permits it to do so."

"We must distinguish between strategic action aimed at success and communicative action aimed at mutual understanding."

"The process of reaching understanding is as important as the outcomes it produces."

"Moral universalism and cultural particularity need not be in irresolvable conflict."

"The ideal of autonomous rational agency must be complemented by recognition of interdependence and vulnerability."