William Butler Yeats Quotes

Philosophy is the rational expression of genius.

Philosophy begins where religion ends, just as by analogy chemistry begins where alchemy runs out, and astronomy takes the place of astrology.

Philosophy, though unable to tell us with certainty what is the true answer to the doubts which it raises, is able to suggest many possibilities which enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom.

Philosophy, the love of Wisdom, is at the very bottom defence against the incomprehensible.

I was interested in philosophy before I knew I was. That's to say, when I was at school, I used to argue with my friends about issues that turned out to be philosophical ones of some kind.

That's something I learned as a philosophy major: The philosophy ethos is, always question, never rest.

Philosophy is the product of wonder. The effort after the general characterization of the world around us is the romance of human thought.

Philosophy is an elegant thing, if anyone modestly meddles with it; but if they are conversant with it more than is becoming, it corrupts them.

Philosophy, as the modern world knows it, is only intellectual club-swinging.

Are you a philosopher? Where's your sponge?

What's a philosopher?' said Brutha. Someone who's bright enough to find a job with no heavy lifting,' said a voice in his head.

Learning philosophy is learning a particular kind of intuitive understanding.

The Study of philosophy is not that we may know what men have thought, but what the truth of things is.

Philosophy, while it soothes the reason, damps the ambition.

Philosophy is by its nature something esoteric, neither made for the mob nor capable of being prepared for the mob.

Philosophers are often like little children, who first scribble random lines on a piece of paper with their pencils, and now ask an adult 'What is that?

Philosophy's work is finding the shortest path between two points.

Born and nurtured when the human being first asked questions about the reason for things and their purpose, philosophy shows in different modes and forms that the desire for truth is part of human nature itself.

One of the main reasons for the existence of philosophy is not that it enables you to find truth (it can never do that) but that it does provide you a refuge for definitions.

... Philosophy proper is a subject, on the one hand so hopelessly obscure, on the other so astonishingly elementary, that there knowledge hardly counts.

Logic works, metaphysics contemplates.

What I always liked about Socrates was his insistence on questioning things for the sake of reaching some sort of clarity - even if it is only clarity about the gaps in our knowledge.

Many scientists think that philosophy has no place, so for me it's a sad time because the role of reflection, contemplation, meditation, self inquiry, insight, intuition, imagination, creativity, free will, is in a way not given any importance, which is the domain of philosophers.

I'm taking a philosophy class and regretting it with everything in me. I'm taking one college class per semester. Philosophy is studying what you already know and dismantling it. I thought it would be right up my alley. I can't tell you how much it's not me.

I took all the philosophy courses I could.