The fundamental question of political philosophy, one that precedes questions about how the state should be organized, is whether there should be any state at all. Why not have anarchy?
Robert NozickRead
And although it might be best of all to be Socrates satisfied, having both happiness and depth, we would give up some happiness in order to gain the depth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the value of intellectual depth over superficial happiness.
Robert Nozick suggests that while a state of happiness and a profound understanding of life are both desirable, the pursuit of deeper knowledge and insight may require a sacrifice of immediate pleasure or happiness. He presents a philosophical contemplation on the balance between experiential pleasure and the richness of intellectual or existential depth, implying that the latter may hold greater value in the long run.
Themes
HappinessDepthWisdomPhilosophySacrifice
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class discussing the values of happiness versus depth of understanding.
More from Robert Nozick
All quotes βGiven the complexity of interpersonal relationships and institutions and the complexity of co-ordination of the actions of many people, it is enormously unlikely that, even if there were one ideal pattern for society, it could be arrived at in an a priori fashion. And even supposing that some great genius did come along with a blueprint, who could have the confidence that it could work
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There are only individual people, different individual people, with their own individual lives. Using one of these people for the benefit of others uses him and benefits the others. Nothing more. What happens is that something is done to him for the sake of others. Talk of an overall social good covers this up.
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I think philosophers can do things akin to theoretical scientists, in that, having read about empirical data, they too can think of what hypotheses and theories might account for that data. So there's a continuity between philosophy and science in that way.
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The history of philosophy is actually full of people who argue for rather wild and incredible views, and their reputations are based on the skill of arguing for them.
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What else can matter to us, other than how our lives feel from the inside?
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