Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

It is a great mistake of many ardent students that they trust too much to their books, and do not draw from their own resources - forgetting that of all sophists our own reason is that which abuses us least.

Books | Mistake | Reason | Trust | Wisdom |

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

No more by the law of reason than by the law of nature can anything occur without a cause.

Cause | Law | Nature | Reason | Wisdom |

Sunday School Times NULL

Faith is the revealer of knowledge; it is the office of reason to defend that knowledge and to preserve it pure. Independent knowledge - the knowledge that comes not though faith - whether it be of things earthly or things heavenly, never can be ours.

Faith | Knowledge | Office | Reason | Wisdom |

Jeremy Taylor

Lust is a captivity of the reason and an enraging of the passions. It hinders business and distracts counsel. It sins against the body and weakens the soul.

Body | Business | Counsel | Lust | Reason | Soul | Wisdom | Business |

Jeremy Taylor

Great knowledge, if it be without vanity, is the most severe bridle of the tongue. For so have I heard that all the noises and prating of the pool, the croaking of frogs and toads, is hushed and appeased upon the instant of bringing upon them the light of a candle or torch. Every beam of reason and ray of knowledge checks the dissolutions of the tongue.

Knowledge | Light | Reason | Wisdom |

Jeremy Taylor

A religion without mystery must be a religion without God. In dwelling on divine mysteries, keep thy heart humble, thy thoughts reverent, thy soul holy. Let not philosophy be ashamed to be confuted, nor logic to be confounded, nor reason to be surpassed. What thou canst not prove, approve; what thou canst not comprehend, believe; what thou canst believe, admire and love and obey. so shall thine ignorance be satisfied in thy faith, and thy doubt be swallowed up in thy reverence, and thy faith be as influential as sight. Put out thing own candle, and then shalt thou see clearly the sun of righteousness.

Doubt | Faith | God | Heart | Ignorance | Logic | Love | Mystery | Philosophy | Reason | Religion | Reverence | Righteousness | Soul | Wisdom |

William Graham Sumner

If you want a war, nourish a doctrine. doctrines are the most fearful tyrants to which men ever are subject, because doctrines get inside of a man’s own reason and betray him against himself. Civilized men have done their fiercest fighting for doctrines.

Doctrine | Fighting | Man | Men | Reason | War | Wisdom |

Sydney Smith

Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out.

Man | Prejudice | Reason | Wisdom |

Lynn White, Jr., fully Lynn Townsend White, Jr.

Christianity bears a huge burden of guilt... We shall continue to have a worsening ecological crisis until we reject the Christian axiom that nature has no reason for existence save to serve man.

Existence | Guilt | Man | Nature | Reason | Wisdom | Crisis |

Frances E. Vaughan

When intuition is developed, it should lead the way into the unknown, with slower-moving reason following behind, evaluating the appropriateness of intuitive insights and inspirations along the way. Thus intuition might inspire us to embark on a new path through life, but rationality can help us with everyday decision-making as we struggle to manifest our vision.

Decision | Intuition | Life | Life | Rationality | Reason | Struggle | Vision | Wisdom | Following |

Wang Yani

Deep inside, we all cherish love... And that is the reason we are here.

Love | Reason | Wisdom |