Theodor W. Adorno Quotes

A philosopher once said, 'Half of good philosophy is good grammar.'

When we reason upon general subjects, one may justly affirm, that our speculations can scarce ever be too fine, provided they be just.

Every single university student should study philosophy. You need to lead the examined life and question your beliefs. If you don't learn critical thinking, then political debate degenerates into a contest of slogans.

Rhetoric is the counterpart of logic; since both are conversant with subjects of such a nature as it is the business of all to have a certain knowledge of, and which belong to no distinct science. Wherefore all men in some way participate of both; since all, to a certain extent, attempt, as well to sift, as to maintain an argument; as well to defend themselves, as to impeach.

Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.

I am only a philosopher, and there is only one thing that a philosopher can be relied on to do, and that is, to contradict other philosophers.

Logic works, metaphysics contemplates.

I preferred the weapons of dialectic to all the other teachings of philosophy, and armed with these, I chose the conflicts of disputation rather than the trophies of war.

You know, I've taught philosophy for years and one argues in the hypothetical all the time.

Skepticism is the first step on the road to philosophy.

Whoever does not philosophize for the sake of philosophy, but rather uses philosophy as a means, is a sophist.

To be a real philosopher all that is necessary is to hate some one else's type of thinking.

Contradiction was something I really like when it is embraced in that kind of philosophy.

Philosophy likes to keen common sense on the run.

The true function of philosophy is to educate us in the principles of reasoning and not to put an end to further reasoning by the introduction of fixed conclusions.

Logic is the last scientific ingredient of Philosophy; its extraction leaves behind only a confusion of non-scientific, pseudo problems.

Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.

The method of exposition which philosophers have adopted leads many to suppose that they are simply inquiries, that they have no interest in the conclusions at which they arrive, and that their primary concern is to follow their premises to their logical conclusions.

By free-thinking I mean the use of the understanding in endeavoring to find out the meaning of any proposition whatsoever, in considering the nature of the evidence for or against it, and in judging of it according to the seeming force or weakness of the evidence.

We cannot infer that because sciences of things divine and human are full of controversies and quarrels, therefore their whole subject-matter is uncertain ; for there have been many persons so enamoured of contradiction, as to turn into ridicule geometrical axioms.

My profession is I'm a dissident philosopher.

That's one thing I learned in my philosophy training - if you're writing a paper on Aristotle, you have to first show that you understand him. Then you can make your counterargument.

I enjoy a good reasoned argument. I love the power of logic.

Yes, I have a philosophy, and you have to come with good arguments to change that philosophy, but, if someone has a better argument than me, then I will change.

Philosophy teaches you to think big.