George Lakoff Quotes

Reason is man's faculty for grasping the world by thought, in contradiction to intelligence, which is man's ability to manipulate the world with the help of thought. Reason is man's instrument for arriving at the truth, intelligence is man's instrument for manipulating the world more successfully; the former is essentially human, the latter belongs to the animal part of man.

The human body is essentially something other than an animal organism.

I'm still a firm believer that we were definitely put here to use our minds, and that is what makes us different. And that that's the key. If there is anything that is going to stop mankind from being such a beastly, destructive creature, it is reason.

The desire to live in our imagination is driven by this suspicion that we're disembodied sensibilities cobbled into our bodies. That idea has infused most of human thought since the very beginning.

Logic is one thing, the human animal another. You can quite easily propose a logical solution to something and at the same time hope in your heart of hearts it won't work out.

You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. Stick to Facts, sir!

Reason shows itself in all occurrences of life; whereas the brute makes no discovery of such a talent, but in what immediately regards his own preservation or the continuance of his species.

Then you have a big problem, because a human is a thinking animal. If you don't think, you're not really a human.

Stafford Cripps has a brilliant mind, until he makes it up.

if reason ruled the world would history even exist?

First, then, I say, that the mind, which we often call the intellect, in which is placed the conduct and government of life, is not less an integral part of man himself, than the hand, and foot, and eyes, are portions of the whole animal.

The soul of man is divided into three parts, intelligence, reason, and passion. Intelligence and passion are possessed by other animals, but reason by man alone.

My mind is just as open as it ever was, professor. But it's a scientific mind, and there's no place in it for superstitions.

Don't allow your animal nature to rule your reason.

I wanted to know how humans came up with a view of the world that had so little magic in it. I needed to understand how they convinced themselves that magic wasn’t important.

Let him make use of instinct who cannot make use of reason.

If one doesn't value logic, what logical argument would you invoke to prove they should value logic?

The restraining grace of common sense is the mark of all valid minds.

Reasoning is the pastime of my whole household, and all this reasoning has driven out Reason.

Becoming fully rational is not enough anymore; evidently it can lead to distortions of all the great human possibilities.

Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has: it never comes to the aid of spiritual things.

The choicest gift of God to man, the gift of reason; and having endeavoured to force upon himself the belief of a system against which reason revolts, he ungratefully calls it human reason; as if man could give reason to himself.

The civilized man is a larger mind but a more imperfect nature than the savage.

My position is that we should not succumb to irrational belief.

I am older than you. Believe me, there is no other way to live on earth. Men are not open to truth or reason. They cannot be reached by a rational argument. The mind is powerless against them. Yet we have to deal with them. If we want to accomplish anything, we have to deceive them into letting us accomplish it. Or force them. They understand nothing else. We cannot expect their support for any endeavor of the intellect, for any goal of the spirit. They are nothing but vicious animals. They are greedy, self-indulgent, predatory dollar-chasers