The Greeks possessed a knowledge of human nature we seem hardly able to attain to without passing through the strengthening hibernation of a new barbarism.
Georg C. LichtenbergRead
Man is to be found in reason, God in the passions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote contrasts human rationality with divine passion, suggesting that reason defines humanity while passion connects us to the divine.
Georg C. Lichtenberg's quote highlights the dual nature of existence, where human beings are fundamentally rational creatures, represented by reason, while God is represented through the intense emotions and passions that drive human experience. This suggests that our ability to think and reason is what makes us inherently human, while our passions and emotional depth connect us to something greater than ourselves, possibly the divine or a higher meaning in life.
Themes
ReasonPassionHumanityDivinePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophy seminar discussing human nature.
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Food probably has a very great influence on the condition of men. Wine exercises a more visible influence, food does it more slowly but perhaps just as surely. Who knows if a well-prepared soup was not responsible for the pneumatic pump or a poor one for a war?
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