George Henry Lewes Quotes

The point of a philosophical spirit is to rely primarily upon one's own thinking.

Logic works, metaphysics contemplates.

I am aware that a philosopher's ideas are not subject to the judgment of ordinary persons, because it is his endeavour to seek the truth in all things, to the extent permitted to human reason by God.

Intelligence flourishes only in the ages when belief withers.

Skepticism is the first step on the road to philosophy.

The service of philosophy, of speculative culture, towards the human spirit, is to rouse, to startle it to a life of constant and eager observation.

The first step towards philosophy is incredulity.

The most important function of the university in an age of reason is to protect reason from itself.

Philosophy likes to keen common sense on the run.

He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; and he that dares not reason is a slave.

The first thing you get from the humanities, when they're well taught, is critical thinking. Philosophy in particular can play that role, not just in universities but in schools as well.

Finding bad reasons for what one believes for other bad reasons - that's philosophy.

Like all religions, Reason presents itself as the solution to the problems it has created

The principle itself of dogmatic religion, dogmatic morality, dogmatic philosophy, is what requires to be rooted out; not any particular manifestation of that principle. The very corner-stone of an education intended to form great minds, must be the recognition of the principle, that the object is to call forth the greatest possible quantity of intellectual power, and to inspire the intensest love of truth.

The modern mind tends to be more and more critical and analytical in spirit, hence it must devise for itself an engine of expression which is logically defensible at every point and which tends to correspond to the rigorous spirit of modern science.

An absolute can only be given in an intuition, while all the rest has to do with analysis.

Philosophy has to be enquiring; it can take nothing on faith, and its methods are based not on the blind acceptance of authority, but on establishing truths by reason and argument.

The man of science is a poor philosopher.

Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.

I'm not sure what theory is, unless it's the pursuit of fundamental questions.

Reason is the test of ridicule, not ridicule the test of truth.

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

The proper method for hastening the decay of error is by teaching every man to think for himself.

Science is nothing, but trained and organized common sense.

He who dares not reason, is a slave.