Those who have handled sciences have either been men of experiment or men of dogmas. The men of experiment are like the ant; they ...only collect and use; the reasoners resemble spiders, who make cobwebs out of their own substance. But the bee takes the middle course; it gathers its material from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own. Not unlike this is the true business of philosophy.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
The only history is a mere question of one's struggle inside oneself. But that is the joy of it. One need neither discover America...s nor conquer nations, and yet one has as great a work as Columbus or Alexander, to do.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Upon the whole I am inclined to think that the far greater part, if not all of those difficulties, which have hitherto amused phil...osophers, and blocked up the way to knowledge, are entirely owing to our selves. That we have raised a dust, and then complain that we cannot see.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
If what you mean by the word "matter" be only the unknown support of unknown qualities, it is no matter whether there is such a th...ing or no, since it no way concerns us; and I do not see the advantage there is in disputing about what we know not what, and we know not why.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Things perceived by the senses are immediately perceived by the senses; and things immediately perceived by the senses are ideas; ...and ideas cannot exist without the mind, their existence therefore consists in being perceived; when therefore they are actually perceived, there can be no doubt of their existence.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »