Top Ten Greatest Philosophical Quotes

No words of mine can ever do any justice to this man... All I can say is the quote shown above reflects what a great man he truly was and still is. I wonder what he would say if he lived in this world right now. Would he be disgusted or amazed?

Almost as reminiscent of what would Jesus say if he were to have seen what has been done in his name.

Maybe einstein doesn't have the greatest knowledge, but have the greatest imagination of all :D

Much recpect for this great man, more known for his scientific discoveries, I know him as the man he his

That was the most stupid thing he ever said! People can imagine real cruel things to do in life and if the same people had some knowledge of their sick and twisted imagination the world would maybe a better place to live in. I'm not saying that everyone has bad imaginations ( some has exeptional good ideas ) but knowledge ( especially " know yourself " ) is more important in life to do things right.

These are words to live by in this world of extremes. We need to be more mindful of how our choices and acts affects people we have never met.

Living simply gives others the chance to enjoy reserved resources so they can survive as well. This is the inverse of living a sophisticated life where your selfish desired lead to the deterioration and exhaustion of resources, which causes harm to innocent lives you may not even know. Some political leaders leave extravagant and authoritative lives they please, but adversely affect the citizenry and subsequent generations who follow.

short in reading, deep in grasping, deeper in understanding and deepest in implemenation

It show's gratefulness; something which human's desperately need.

It is natural truth that no one knows everything but it is really very difficult to confess that. But one who accept that, his such a sentence reflect that he knows more than others.

Empty glass has space for more...

More true than some of the others, and definitely smarter than some movie quote that just sounds cool, because you saw the movie.

He knows nothing, reverse it. He doesn't know everything/anything

He knows nothing is the opposite of He doesn't know everything/anything

Therefore Socrates knows everything/anything, and therefor he is the wisest. , That's the true meaning of that quote.

@onlymusic:
You ask how one may write so well?
This is done by divine inspiration. The Bible in all of it's entirety was written in this way. From the earliest text to the newest; from Genesis to Revelation. The Book, or rather "Volume", that is the Holy Bible was constructed by the very hand of God, orchestrated through time.

This is so pretty and beautiful. The trick is that now we say "ooh how nicely said! " but if anybody nowadays would say anything like that we would be like "what's he talking about? Is he crazy? "

The inevitable can never be defined greater - MatrixGuy

Not really something to think about! It's a giving fact that we learn by nature ( for instance a little kid who's pet just died will grasp the meaning of death ). We don't need a book for that ( or a quote like this one ).

Get married with good wife = imagination

getting married is to share our love and affection, no one is complete without a wife or a husband for that matter

this is very correct as philosophers our mostly full of negative energy and this is humorous to me...

Where did he said that? I'm not familiar with that quote. The one I know of Socrates is where they asking him if it's better to be married or not and where he answers to that as follows ; " If you get married you will regret it and if you don't get married you will regret it as well ".

People push reason aside when it comes to God.
Humanity and God are like lovers, and love can make people blind.

God is whatever you want it to be, perceived by your Mind and soul, therefore, God is only a perception... "He" is not the creator of the universe, nor can he be compared in an analogy to a lover.

The heart doesn't perceive anything it is an organ that pumps blood around the body, nothing more, nothing less.

Faith comes first before reason, although both are necessary to perceive God.

I am a man of God. That's why I put my faith on him without reason.

Happiness is fleeting, elusive, and temporary. The best a person can do is to not suffer excessively and unnecessarily.

The definition of happiness... - MatrixGuy

Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the aim and end of one's existence.

Happiness is the ultimate reason why I live, only that man could not understand.

That's the basics of existentialism. They ask no questions of the meaning of something but they ask questions like " what means it to me? ". It's also more a way of life and attitude than a real philosophy. But it's also known that this attitude ( how admirable it may be ) stops progressions in the search of the absolute truth.

It's an opinion on the finiteness of life. From nothing we came, and to nothing we return. I guess it's up to you what you do with your time, plus your attitude to what happens with your time.

Nice philosophical quotes...
Extra ordinary...
Must be followed in a persons life...

Yes, I agree because I think that we should live like a ongoing river having no goal,blessing life with full of water.

Plato is one of the greatest thinkers in the history of mankind. Although some of his thoughts are derailed by the age in which he lived and the things he thus took for granted, he was ever so right to present this thought. By a philosopher Plato means the person who searches for the origin of human thoughts and action with the aim of knowing what choices to make in life. Many people who currently govern the world are more than capable intellectually and posses the right knowledge to make right decisions, but lack the knowledge of the origin of thoughts and are therefore unable to distinguish right from wrong.

"If even one remains uncorrupted in a community which is prepared to obey him, then that is enough: everything that is now open to doubt would become a full-fledged reality. "

Philosophy means love for wisdom or knowledge. What Plato really means here( if you can read the greek text it would be better to understand ) is that a state should be run by people who have wisdom and knowledge and not by people with intelligence to exploit others ( the Sophists ). In a today context you can compare it with the people who are now in governments just to get the power to exploit the society and to get better themselves. A Sophist ( not a Philosopher ) of today is someone like for instance Donald Trump ( intelligent in a way but not wise to run a country ).

Plato is an absolute great thinker. Great nations are built through the reflection on the words of a man like Plato. My worry is that literal minded men do not recognize such great minds in history.

All Philosophers are idealists, but to assume that all Philosophers shall unite as one in some sort of Utopian society is naive. There are genetic personality traits to take into account, differences in what is right and wrong...you name it. Fine ideal, but unattainable like all the rest. There's no such thing as a universal truth - even in literature. Everything's an opinion piece, even mine.

Life is like a box of chocolates. It doesn't last long for fat people.

Sorry, I couldn't resist - CityGuru

its actually pretty true.

That's cheap philosophy ( if you can call it philosophy? ). If I get a box of chocolates I know I get chocolates with different kind of flavors or one kind of flavor but I still know it's chocolate! Put this stupid quote out of this list!

The point he was trying to make is that when you pick a chocolate out of the box, you never know which flavor is inside. Same thing with life, you never know what you're going to get. - RogerMcBaloney

Actually, it says it on the little paper or on the box.

Very true. So many of us endlessly complained about the things that we don't have at the moment. The fact is, we already got so much of what once was a burning need.

Be content today. Let the time do its thing. When you meet tomorrow - look back. Thick those unchecked box from yesterday. But tomorrow only adds to the stock - the unchecked boxes. So you be content again! Toady!

I never asked for life, so I'm not grateful or ungrateful for it. My parents copulated, conceived, and here I am in the middle of nowhere responding to a philosophical thread. I don't recall ever signing up got life.

Greatest Philosopher should have the greatest quote

Perhaps those who don't experience life without enduring struggle and adversity, may not truly and wholly embrace, celebrate and or appreciate the smaller, simpler things that matter or are missed when not there and the epic personal triumphs humans achieve and strive for. For all he achieved he still displayed humility which I admire. For me that's what I get from this. Thanks Bruce.

Bruce acknowledging the harsh realities of life. Succinctly put, too.

Wow... What a Quotation Man... Awesome. Bruce lee. We miss you Man...!

Wo this one is really nice - Toucan

George Lucas tried, and came up with Jar Jar Binks. Do not do or try ever again please, George.

A little bit stupid ( what do you expect from a Hollywood movie ). Sometimes we can learn from our mistakes while we're trying to do right afterwards.

I believe that what Yoda is saying is that when we are doing something difficult, we should not "try" to do it, we should just do it. - GrimmShady

Basically either do it or don't, don't half ass anything. Great quote

The rest just make me feel worthless, this makes me determined...

Who decides what Philosophy is and isn't? Philosophers aren't here to please and make us all feel better, they're here to make us question our beliefs, our ideals, and the endless paradox' that life presents. If you want to feel better, go hug a tree - while they're still here.

I'm a smart ass, but I can't argue with this one. He has encapsulated my life and aspirations in a nutshell.

I find this to be one or more of the phyl quotes

Fancy words to explain the greek meaning of philosophy. Wisdom ( sophia ) and love ( philo ) for it!

President Kennedy is overrated as being one of the best presidents of the US. He announced the discovery of the installation in Cuba of nuclear missiles and proclaimed that any nuclear attack from Cuba would be regarded as an attack of the Soviet Union and would be responded accordingly. Cuba dismantled its nuclear missile to keep relations at peace but on the other hand president Kennedy had no problem by install nuclear missiles in Turkey. This man was " creating " enemies because of his " paranoia " and starting almost a nuclear war. Forgive your enemies by putting millions of people in danger? Was that his wise philosophy?

Forgiving them is good... And their names in this context is the lesson... So if something related to their names (lessons) comes up in future, you take the necessary precautions... It's a good one

So stupid! Why I have to forgive my enemies? If for instance someone would kill my mother why should I forgive a bastard like that?

It's a guiding principle towards life defense

Some people are too serious 24/7/365 and need to remember what is was like to have no worries once in a while is a perspective I see here

Children are quick to forgiveness and they are innocent! Who wouldn't want that?

Lol! If I want children I'll go to a club and, if I get lucky, I can impregnate a woman. How miraculous. I want adults in this world, not children. There's far too many people on the planet as it is, and the one's that are here behave exactly like children.

Ah, so. Remember yelling for joy and leaping skyward because of that joy?
That' glee!
pstevenson59301@gmail.com

It's a shame that we fail to love one another when love is rated so high and its for free!

I like the 'sometimes' addition, because it's rare as gold.

Just another equivalent of the old saying " After rain comes the Sunshine ". Nice saying but no originality in Tupac's equivalent.

Don't give up on your difficults you can still find a better way

No matter how hard it get. One should keep goingm

That's so true

The Atom Bomb anyone?

It's true in a way what he's saying. About the atom bomb? Well, nobody was punished for it. He just don't say of the privilege is right or wrong. If he tought that it was wrong then you can concider this quote as a sarcastic critic against geniuses who thinks they can do anything they want and get away with it. I know that Lewis Carrol had a romantic nature, so I believe that he tought that privilege of geniuses was a wrong thing.

The comment about the " olympic runner " is the comment that doesn't make sense. If you think that you are a olympic runner it proves that you exist otherwise you wouldn't be able to think your own lie. The quote of Descartes is about existence because you think ( no matter what you are thinking ) and not about your thoughts of something. If you understood the quote ( and I'm sure you don't ) you would have said " Just because you think you are an olympic runner, doesn't mean you exist ". Does that make sense to you?

After analysed every radical doubt he came to the conclusion that one thing is sure ; that he exist. His saying " I think therefore I am " was true even if he was dreaming, even when his senses played tricks with his mind.It was even necessarily true because it's impossible to deny it without being in contradiction with yourself ( if you're saying that you have doubts about your existence it proves in fact that you exist otherwise you wouldn't have a doubt to begin with ). You can't ignore the existence of your thinking because it's with your thinking that you can get doubts. Therefore thinking and I ( my existence ) are the same. A proven selfidentity that has a body and mind.

Doesn't even make sense. Just because you think you are an Olympic runner, doesn't mean you are.

I know it is cliché, but it takes the quote "I only know one thing, and that is I know nothing" to the next level to even question your existence and everything in your life and this will lead you on your philosophical journey to find your personal philosophical beliefs.

To live life to the fullest, sacrifices has to be made

Just clever for clever's sake. I'm not sacrificing jack today because my tomorrow will be enriched by not sacrificing it.

Stupid! Like you know what day will be tomorrow? You can be dead tomorrow. I say ; Carpe Diem!

Whoa. Never heard of that one, but it's a good one to explain how people can do evil in the name of good.

I have spent my life being hated for what I am but as Socrates said in Apology, "and I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner and live." I would rather be hated for what I am and hope that someone out there loves me for what I truly am than deceive someone by having them love me for what I am not.

I'll take whatever love is thrown my way before whatever hate is thrown my way any day of the week.

I am a wally

So true. It's a shame that Lenin has tried to eliminate the " opium " with radical acts. Karl Marx was a pacifist and wrote this just to make a point about organised religion that was part of the political structure at that time which people followed blindly without thinking about the hypocrisy of it. It prove that he was right after all when you see that nowadays most of the confrontations in this world are still religious conflicts.

Karl Marx was at the first place a theoritician. His writings about the revolution was not about starting a war but about a unite of the proleterian class ( the working class ) through unions ( those were still theories ) and that once the united class would be big enough it would be inevitable that a transistion of power would accure. Organised Religion had much power over people and in politics in those days. An atheist like Karl Marx was aware that as long people believed in " organised religion " a lot of people would never follow his theories about socialism just because he knew that religion works like a very addictive drug ( opium in this case ) in the mind of those " addicted or brainwashed to god-theories " people. The alienation ( Hegel ) of yourself and worship of a outside-human power created by the people works like a drug, like opium ( Feuerbach ). We all know that those two philosophers were a major influence in Marx's writings ( dialectic materialism as opposed to ...more

Not a pacifist, more to the contrary. He believed that a revolution, which is a forceful transition, was inevitable, and the only right continuation of society. Religion dulled the workers pain and postponed this transition, most the same way a drug like opium would have.

This is much similar to Nietzsches way of thinking regarding both religion but also alcohol, as these things work as anti-catalysts to change - they make oppression and bad situations tolerable and delays change.

That’s why communism is drug free

Everything is controlled by the brain. Everything! The reason people talk about 'heart and soul' is because the heart is a palpable organ that you can feel at work. You might as well say liver or pancreas instead.

It is evident that we can not see God and His angels also the prince of darkness cannot be seen though we see the effects of this powers

The existence of reality doe not depend on sight

They eye and brain can only see what is present, imagination can only be created by the heart and soul

No considerate god would destroy something as beautiful as the human mind by making it so rigid and unadaptable that we would depend upon one book, the Bible, for all the answers. For the use of words, and thus of a book, is to point beyond themselves to a world of life and experience that is not mere words or even ideas. Just as money is not real, consumable wealth, books are not life. To idolize scriptures is like eating paper currency.

Surely there us judgement day. We'd better search for God in Jesus Christ.

It sounds like a side-swipe at religion to me.

Sounds like a cop-out to me.

So simply true

"he described what kind of leader he was.

That's a classic! It's like all those questions for instance about god. Nobody can't proof his existence ( even if you believe in god ). So, why bother? Why should you fear if he exist or if he doesn't exist? You don't know, so, don't know the truth will not affect you or do you harm.

Yes! It is idealistic, but how I would live complete control over my destiny.

Hmm... N never share your troubles in front of anyone except your CREATURE...

Hmm... That almost broke my heart... - Britgirl

You can run all you want, but you cannot hide.

Yeah, denial is the best medicine.

And the right thing is? More ponderous nothingness that doesn't take into account life's complexities and diversity of opinions on what is right and wrong. I think the world desperately needs to go nuclear, but watch the opposition. What about gun laws? Drug use and decriminalisation?

truth

Ths worst enemie and battle is fighting with yourself, exactly do the rigbt choice.

That is not true. Examples could be cited, but really, do you not have enough imagination to understand that the opportunity to grow and achieve is not limited to the age of 30?

So stupid! Life doesn't stop after 30!

Very correct!

Written more than two Thousand years ago but it still apply for today.

Too true.

But negative thoughts aren't generally entertaining. Critical thoughts can be entertaining, but they just get moved to the Comments section, or deleted all together.

Killed it that's a master piece prince garreth mokoena and tapiwa takavarasha

Well, Quantum Physicisists claim that if you miraculously had infinite lives and infinite attempts you could jump from the Empire State Building and free fall through the concrete ground below, so all Quantum Physicists should start literally putting this theory to the test. Hint: Concrete is ALWAYS as hard as concrete, no matter what.

Ponderous and pointless. There's plenty of things that you can't determine the outcome of.

Best thought-provoking quote ever.

Love this quote, so simple.
So many of the motivational words and phrases are aimed at the removal of the rusted shackles of inaction or depression draped over our beautiful silvery spirit.
Even when we are given the keys to freedom there is still a dark passage to traverse to arrive at the place we dream of.
The words are absorbed into our brains but need to connect with spirit, will, heart, desire and convert to action. These are all encountered in the dark passage. This is the most difficult part of the journey and the most rewarding.
Like most things in life it's only when you let go that you achieve your nirvana. It's not hard... You just need to believe that what we call fail is just another fork in the road.
Get on with it.

In other words : Karma. But does it really exist or is it really true? I've never had any proof of it. A nice quote but also a fantasy.

I wish it were true.

Well, go poop yourself at a party then.

Lol! Funny. I don't mind arguing with idiots - it's good sport.

It was his response to Lithium treatment, but it's a fair question/proposal he put out there.

One life, one chance, and this procrastinator implies you do nothing with it. Comedy gold.

Hey, I'm down with laziness and apathy.

The great young man taking a swipe at Psychology and/or Psychiatry.

The greatest of all time. The man who shook up the world. The greatest sportsman in history, reigning it in a tad and revealing another side to his nature. But, let's face it, he talked trash like no-one on the planet and backed it up with all skill of a neurosurgeon, and we loved him for it.

I like it

Ok, instinct is at this core of this one. It's hard to put a lot of trust in it, because your instincts can be wrong or right. I guess its about whether you have the courage of your convictions, and can take winning or losing.

Such verbosity. What's this big inner secret? My parents had sex, so here I am.

whoa... - RecklessGreed

When you can't stand to hear the song it can be a sensation of freedom rather than dead when it ends.

Ah! A bittersweet symphony it is, too.

I just had to vote for this! - Turkeyasylum

Theory and practice are two different things. Believing goes in the category of theory. You can be only halfway there if you try your thoughts in practice.

A strong positive thought about succes - MatrixGuy

...or failure.

...possibly half way to failure, too.

So stupid! It's like he's saying, " The Nazis are not evil but we are because we don't stop them ". His quote doesn't make any sense! He was very intelligent without a doubt but he said many stupid things in his life too.

And who is the other to say what I have to do? Is he more important than me in this world?

As though the average joe in the street has any say in the every day running of the world...

There's nothing special about faults. Everyone has far too many of them, and their as common as a house fly.