Top Ten Greatest Philosophical Quotes

The Top Ten
1 Albert Einstein: Real sign of intelligence isn't knowledge, it's imagination

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.

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 exceptional good ideas), but knowledge (especially "know yourself") is more important in life to do things right.

2 Socrates: I only know one thing, and that is I know nothing

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.

Very true. Only a wise and all-knowing person knows they know nothing about everything, some things about nothing, nothing about some things and everything about nothing and...I think I've just proved Socrates point...

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.

3 Gandhi: Live simply that others may simply live

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.

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.

4 The Book of Job: Remember: life is a breath; Soon I will vanish from your sight. The eye that looks will not see me; You may search but I will be gone. Like a cloud fading in the sky, Man dissolves into death. And never comes home again.

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

It tells many things about humanity that many ignore or wish not to speak because they are scared, so it's a good way to tell the truth without telling someone that its how we all will end up one day.

@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.

5 Socrates: My advice to you is to get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher

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".

My goodness! He's being ironic, that's all. This isn't an advertisement for marriage, more a sarcastic take on the apparent navel gazing those who don't marry engage in. It's self-deprecating comedy.

This is absolutely correct& truth.

6 Bruce Lee: I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

That's great, I have practised the front kick thousands of times and tell you what? Its perfectly dangerous to try it on someone! Brinya

The art of mastering. Not necessarily restricted to Kungfu - but almost every aspects of life.

When I am studying, my mind get divert. there is also one problem when I learn anything, I forget that in few minutes

7 Forrest Gump: Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get

Life literally means sweet, so the box of chocolate means you can not choose any chocolate out of the box, because it is the same chocolate so you have no choice (live).

Has Hollywood knowledge of philosophy? I don't think so! This stupid saying is ranked too high on this list! If you ask me it even really doesn't belong here!

I really think this quote is very cheap there's no philosophy in it and who ever listed it here was misguided.

8 Pascal: It is the heart which perceives God and not the reason. That is what faith is: God perceived by the heart, not the reason

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

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.

9 Albert Camus: It was previously a question Of finding out whether or not life Has to have a meaning to be lived. It now becomes clear, on the contrary That it will be lived all the better if it has no meaning

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.

10 Plato: There will be no end to the troubles of states,Or of humanity itself,Till philosophers become kings in this world,Or till those we now call kings and rulers really And truly become philosophers,

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 possess 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."

The Contenders
11 Aristotle: Happiness is something final and complete in itself, As being the aim and end of practical activities whatever... Happiness then we define as the active exercise of the mind In conformity with perfect goodness or virtue

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

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.

12 Epicurus: Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

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.

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!

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.

13 Bruce Lee: Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.

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.

14 Yoda: Do or do not, there is no try.

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.

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

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

15 Henry David Thoreau: To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, Nor even to found a school, But so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, A life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust

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.

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

16 John F. Kennedy: Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.

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?

17 Walt Disney: Too many people grow up. Thats the trouble with the world... They don't remember what its like to be twelve years old.

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!

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

18 Albert Camus: If there is one thing one can always yearn for And sometimes attain, it is human love

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

19 Tupac: Remember through every dark night, there's a brighter day after that.

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

20 Lewis Carrol: It is the privilege of true genius, And especially genius who opens up a new path, To make great mistakes with impunity

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.

21 René Descartes: I think therefore I am

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.

22 You must sacrifice your comforts of today for your greater tomorrow

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!

23 I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christians because your Christians are unlike your Christ - Gandhi

Religious doctrines induce fear and control the weak. The strong and righteous live for love and control themselves.

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

24 It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not. - Lm10

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.

25 Not all things we don't see aren't there - Mauka Ramsy

This is one of those sayings that you have to believe in blind faith because the quote itself doesn't prove anything true. Medical science knows for instance when you take a substance like LSD what mechanism in your brains does you see things that aren't really there. Bodychemicals like dopamine, serotonine, adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and neurotransmitters of glutamate will alterate your toughts, memories, imagination etc.. Even when the substance is not in your body anymore you can have afterwards imaginary toughts ( flashbacks ). In other words, we know how the mechanism in our brains works for the things we see or imagine to see.

8Load More
PSearch List