Nothing can illustrate these observations more forcibly, than a recollection of the happy conjuncture of times and circumstances, under which our Republic assumed its rank among the Nations; The foundation of our Empire was not laid in the gloomy age of Ignorance and Superstition, but at an Epoch when the rights of mankind were better understood and more clearly defined, than at any former period, the researches of the human mind, after social happiness, have been carried to a great extent, the Treasures of knowledge, acquired by the labours of Philosophers, Sages and Legislatures, through a long succession of years, are laid open for our use, and their collected wisdom may be happily applied in the Establishment of our forms of Government; the free cultivation of Letters, the unbounded extension of Commerce, the progressive refinement of Manners, the growing liberality of sentiment... have had a meliorating influence on mankind and increased the blessings of Society. At this auspicious period, the United States came into existence as a Nation, and if their Citizens should not be completely free and happy, the fault will be entirely their own.
[Circular to the States, 8 June 1783 - Writings 26:484--89]
Tags: happiness knowledge mind america mankind ignorance philosophers government superstition research george-washington rights sages foundation founding founding-father use
...that, to repeat what I heard for years and years and suspect you’ve been hearing over and over, yourself, something’s meaning is nothing more or less than its function. Et cetera et cetera et cetera. Has she done the thing with the broom with you? No? What does she use now? No. What she did with me--I must have been eight, or twelve, who remembers--was to sit me down in the kitchen and take a straw broom and start furiously sweeping the floor, and she asked me which part of the broom was more elemental, more fundamental, in my opinion, the bristles or the handle. The bristles or the handle. And I hemmed and hawed, and she swept more and more violently, and I got nervous, and finally when I said I supposed the bristles, because you could after a fashion sweep without the handle, by just holding on to the bristles, but couldn’t sweep with just the handle, she tackled me, and knocked me out of my chair, and yelled into my ear something like, ’Aha, that’s because you want to sweep with the broom, isn’t it? It’s because of what you want the broom for, isn’t it?’ Et cetera. And that if what we wanted a broom for was to break windows, then the handle was clearly the fundamental essence of the broom, and she illustrated with the kitchen window, and a crowd of the domestics gathered; but that if we wanted the broom to sweep with, see for example the broken glass, sweep sweep, the bristles were the thing’s essence. No? What now, then? With pencils? No matter. Meaning as fundamentalness. Fundamentalness as use. Meaning as use. Meaning as fundamentalness.
David Foster WallaceTags: meaning use sweeping wittgensteinian-grandmother
Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.
Niccolò MachiavelliTags: intelligence knowledge philosophy comprehension intellect use
Isn't it funny. I'm enjoying my hatred so much more than I ever enjoyed love. Love is temperamental. Tiring. It makes demands. Love uses you, changes its mind. But hatred, now, that's something you can use. Sculpt. Wield. It's hard, or soft, however you need it. Love humiliates you, but Hatred cradles you.
Janet FitchTags: love hate hatred use cradle soft enjoy humiliate sculpt tiring
One does not have to be a philosopher to be a successful artist, but he does have to be an artist to be a successful philosopher. His nature is to view the world in an unpredictable albeit useful light.
Criss JamiTags: intelligence success purpose originality perspective world philosophy unique necessity light creativity meaning usefulness philosopher unpredictability discovery useful artist uniqueness skill requirements practicality artistic necessary worldview successful viewpoint use practical predictable point skill-technique lens predictability unpredictable predication prerequisite seeing-things-in-a-different-way
In India everything has a use and a value.
Tahir ShahWhen you optimize your talents very well, you can pick money from people's pockets and nobody will ever get the guts to call you a thief.
Israelmore AyivorTags: wisdom money talent knowledge rich people dreams action brain wise gifts food-for-thought potential talents excellence poor pockets thieves use achieve call weath guts wealthy pick dream-big achievers potentials extra-mile israelmore-ayivor pocket ahievement congratulation optimize
It's more useful to have someone fear you than respect you.
J. Cornell MichelTags: fear usefulness respect useful apocalypse apocalyptic zombie zombies someone important use somebody zombie-apocalypse fearful zompoc
Advice is the easiest thing to give and often the hardest thing to receive. When you need it, and others are willing to give it, take as much as you can. When you receive it, appreciate it, use it, and apply what works for your situation….
James A. MurphyTags: advice need others give situation works appreciate use willing receive apply
The most dangerous madmen are those created by religion, and ... people whose aim is to disrupt society always know how to make good use of them on occasion.
Denis DiderotTags: society dangerous use madmen created
Page 1 of 1.
Data privacy
Imprint
Contact
Diese Website verwendet Cookies, um Ihnen die bestmögliche Funktionalität bieten zu können.