Caius was one of those who gloried in his ignorance, called his lack of letters purity, scorned any subtlety of thought or expression. A man for his time, indeed.
Iain PearsTags: education stupidity civilization ignorance crudeness coarseness
Do you wish to speak in Provençal, French, or Latin? They are all I can manage, I'm afraid."
"Any will do," the rabbi replied in Provençal.
"Splendid. Latin it is," said Pope Clement.
Tags: communication arrogance conceit mockery pope languages papal-authority
Was not Hypatia the greatest philosopher of Alexandria, and a true martyr to the old values of learning? She was torn to pieces by a mob of incensed Christians not because she was a woman, but because her learning was so profound, her skills at dialectic so extensive that she reduced all who queried her to embarrassed silence. They could not argue with her, so they murdered her.
Iain PearsTags: greatness education knowledge learning women murder philosophers skills abilities superiority suppression dialectics hypatia-of-alexandria
A hundred francs! Oh, dear me! It is worth millions of francs, my child. But my -- dealer -- here tells me that in fact a picture is worth only what someone will give for it. How much money do you have?"
Julia took out her purse and counted. "Four francs and twenty sous," she said, looking up at him sadly.
"Is that all the money you have in the world?"
She nodded.
"Then four francs and twenty sous it is.
Tags: money art perception subjectivity value
She was looking for something I could never give her." Again his dark eyes bored into Julia's mind. "You have something of the same about you, young woman. Take my advice: Don't think you will find it in another person. You won't. It's not there. You must find it in yourself.
Iain PearsTags: individuality identity self-reliance self-awareness search
This is a perfectly good picture. And if I didn't know you, I would be impressed and charmed. But I do know you."
He thought some more, wondering whether he dared say precisely what he felt, for he knew he could never explain exactly why the idea came to him. "It's the painting of a dutiful daughter," he said eventually, looking at her cautiously to see her reaction. "You want to please. You are always aware of what the person looking at this picture will think of it. Because of that you've missed something important. Does that make sense?"
She thought, then nodded. "All right," she said grudgingly and with just a touch of despair in her voice. "You win."
Julien grunted. "Have another go, then. I shall come back and come back until you figure it out."
"And you'll know?"
"You'll know. I will merely get the benefit of it.
Tags: individuality art perception fulfillment creativity independence duty expectation paintings skills gift obedience daughters
Considering he was neither priest nor scholar, the young man gave sensible, thoughtful replies -- the more so, perhaps, for being untrained, for he had not learned what he should believe or should not believe. Present a statement to him in flagrant contradiction to all Christian doctrine and he could be persuaded to agree on its good sense, unless he remembered it was the sort of thing of which pyres are made for the incautious.
Iain PearsTags: education reason freedom philosophy freedom-of-thought persecution rationality independent-thought catholicism freedom-of-religion doctrine inquisition good-sense schooling
Philosophy cannot be extinguished, though men will try ... The spirit seeks the light, that is its nature. It wishes to return to its origin, and must forever try to reach enlightenment.
Iain PearsTags: philosophy enlightenment human-spirit
The evil done by men of goodwill is the worst of all ... We have done terrible things, for the best of reasons, and that makes it worse.
Iain PearsIt was, for the time being, an empty threat, and he must have sensed it also, for he laughed easily and with contempt. “You will do what your masters tell you to do, doctor. As do we all.
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