Philosophy Quotes
Philosophy Quotes - Universe
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) – English economist, political theorist, and philosopher – A major contributor to the field of inductive logic, with works such as A System of Logic, Principles of Political Economy, and On Liberty.
“Among the facts of the universe to be accounted for, it may be said, is Mind; and it is self evident that nothing can have produced Mind but Mind.” - John Stuart Mill
(Mill, J. Essays on Ethics, Religion, and Society, University of Toronto Press, 1969, 439.)
Benedict de Spinoza (1623-1677) – Dutch philosopher, rationalist, and major influence on German idealism – Of Portuguese-Jewish lineage, he’s considered one of the great religious philosophers with works such as
Ethica Ordine Geometrico Demonstrata.“Without God nothing can be conceived.” - Benedict de Spinoza
(Elwes, R. H. M. The Chief Works of Benedict de Spinoza, Vol. II, Dover Publications, 1951, 60.)
Philosophy Quotes – Existence
René Descartes (1596-1650) – French mathematician, scientist, and founder of modern philosophy -- Known for his declaration: “I think; therefore, I am.”
“I have concluded the evident existence of God, and that my existence depends entirely on God in all the moments of my life, that I do not think that the human spirit may know anything with greater evidence and certitude.” - René Descartes
(Descartes, R. “Les Meditations” in The Meditations and Selections from the Principles of René Descartes, Open Court Publishing, 1950, par. 155.)
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) – French mathematician, philosopher, and founder of modern probability theory – Major influence on existentialism and the Age of Enlightenment.
“All things have sprung from nothing and are borne forward to infinity. Who can follow out such an astonishing career? The Author of these wonders, and He alone, can comprehend them.” - Blaise Pascal
(Pascal, B. Thoughts on Religion and Philosophy, Otto Schultz & Company, 5.)
Philosophy Quotes – Quest for God
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) – English statesman and leader in empirical philosophy – Author of The Advancement of Learning and Novum Organum, foundational works for the modern scientific method.
“It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy brings about man’s mind to religion: For while the mind of man looketh upon second causes scattered, it may sometimes rest in them, and go no further; but when it beholdeth the chain of them confederate and linked together, it must needs fly to Providence and Deity.” - Sir Francis Bacon
(Bacon, F. The Essays of Lord Bacon, Longman & Green, 1875, 64.)
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) – German philosopher, scientist, and one of the greatest modern thinkers – Known for powerful works such as
Critique of Pure Reason and Critique of Practical Reason.“The sum total of all possible knowledge of God is not possible for a human being, not even through a true revelation. But it is one of the worthiest inquiries to see how far our reason can go in the knowledge of God.” - Immanuel Kant
(Kant, I. Lectures on Philosophical Theology, Cornell University Press, 1978, 23.)
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) – French philosopher, political theorist, and primary writer during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe – Known for powerful works such as The Social Contract and Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts.
“An intelligent being, is the active principle of all things. One must have renounced all common sense to doubt it, and it is a waste of time to try to prove such self evident truth.” - Jean Jacques Rousseau
Burgelin, P. La Philosophie de l’ Existance de Jean Jacques Rousseau, Librarie Philosophique J. Vrin., 1973, 407.)
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Compliments of THE GREAT PURSUIT: The Message for Those In Search of God, by Eugene H. Peterson and Randall Niles (NavPress 2007).
