Peter Kreeft Quotes

We need discernment in what we see and what we hear and what we believe.

The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.

Intellect distinguishes between the possible and the impossible; reason distinguishes between the sensible and the senseless. Even the possible can be senseless.

In my opinion, it helps enormously to know why something is true, rather than being told it is true, for why should you believe me? Never believe anything on the authority of a single person but seek confirmation — and reason is the best confirmation

Ability to discern that what is true is true, and that what is false is false, is the characteristic of intelligence.

To avoid being drawn into error, keep a firm grip on the truth.

A man's most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe.

What can give us more sure knowledge than our senses? How else can we distinguish between the true and the false?

It is however always important to remember that the ability to see things in their correct perspective may be, and often is, divorced from the ability to reason correctly and vice versa. That is why a man may be a very good theorist and yet talk absolute nonsense.

The cure for advanced gullibility is to go to sleep and consider matters again the next day.

If one devalues rationality, the world tends to fall apart.

Most men seem to live according to sense rather than reason.

A smart man only believes half of what he hears, a wise man knows which half.

The first point of wisdom is to discern that which is false; the second, to know that which is true.

Reason is a harmonising, controlling force rather than a creative one.

When we examine the opinions of men, we find that nothing is more uncommon than common sense; or, in other words, they lack judgment to discover plain truths or to reject absurdities and palpable contradictions.

As far as I remember, even younger than eight, I have always been guided by reason. Not cold reason, but that which leads to the truth, to the real, and to sane Justice.

If you understand hallucination and illusion, you don't blindly follow any leader. You must know if the person is sane or insane, over the abyss.

Common sense is not so common.

Where the senses fail us, reason must step in.

Our analysis of truth and falsehood, or of the nature of judgment, is not very likely to be influenced by our hopes and fears.

Our society has lost confidence in the power of reason, except perhaps scientific reason.

It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.

Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.

First, he must hold rational values, and to do this he must be a thinker.