Weekly Quotes
Quotations on Philosophy, Religion, Politics, and More
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Every week a quotation or short passage dealing with philosophy, religion, politics, or some other interesting facet of life is presented along with an analysis and discussion of the ideas raised in the quote.
The quotations are listed with the most recent at the top going down the the first at the bottom. At some point, when there are more, I may try to divide them into categories - but for now it is just a chronological listing. If you follow the links, you will be taken to a page that includes the full quotation (if it has been truncated for length here) along with an analysis and commentary.
February 22, 2004:
Schopenhauer on Books and Learning
Buying books would be a good thing if one could also buy the time to read them in: but as a
rule the purchase of books is mistaken for the appropriation of their contents.
- Arthur Schopenhauer, Parerga and Paralipomena
February 15, 2004:
Charles Peirce on Reason, Belief, and Logic
Few persons care to study logic, because everybody conceives himself to be proficient enough
in the art of reasoning already. But I observe that this satisfaction is limited to one's own
ratiocination, and does not extend to that of other men.
- Charles Peirce, The Fixation of Belief
February 08, 2004:
Immanuel Kant on Freedom and Thought
Certainly one may say, 'Freedom to speak or write can be taken from us by a superior power,
but never the freedom to think!' But how much, and how correctly, would we think if we did not
think, as it were, in common with others, with whom we mutually communicate!
- Immanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason
February 01, 2004:
J. Michael Straczynski on Religion and God
If I take a lamp and shine it toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The
lamp is our search for truth ... for understanding. Too often, we assume that the light on the
wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The
more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall,
the greater the sense of revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search - who
does not bring a lantern - sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search
for God.
- Citizen G'Kar
January 25, 2004:
Jay F. Rosenberg on Suffering
I am suspicious of the notion of unrequited suffering, in particular, of its inescapable
implication that suffering can be "requited". Suffering is not a debit entry in some ledger,
something that can be offset by an appropriate credit on another page. Suffering is intrinsic
disvalue. Positive consequences may flow from it, but it cannot thereby be "made good".
- Jay F. Rosenberg
January 18, 2004:
Friedrich Nietzsche on Justice & Equality
Origin of justice. -- Justice (fairness) originates among those who are approximately equally
powerful, as Thucydides (in the terrible conversation between the Athenian and Melian
ambassadors) comprehended correctly: where there is no clearly recognizable predominance and a
fight would mean inconclusive mutual damage, there the idea originates that one might come to an
understanding and negotiate one's claims: the initial character of justice is the character of a
trade...
- Friedrich Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human, #92
January 11, 2004:
Bertrand Russell on Science & Religion
When two men of science disagree, they do not invoke the secular arm; they wait for further
evidence to decide the issue, because, as men of science, they know that neither is infallible.
But when two theologians differ, since there is no criteria to which either can appeal, there is
nothing for it but mutual hatred and an open or covert appeal to force.
- Bertrand Russell, Can Religion Cure our Troubles, 1954.
January 04, 2004:
Aristotle on Politics & Religion
A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less
apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the
other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.
- Aristotle, Politics.
