Others indeed may talk, and write, and fight about liberty, and make an outward pretence to it but the free-thinker alone is truly free.
George BerkeleyRead
Many things, for aught I know, may exist, whereof neither I nor any other man hath or can have any idea or notion whatsoever.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that there are many things in existence that are beyond human comprehension.
George Berkeley's quote emphasizes the limitations of human knowledge and understanding. He suggests that there may be countless realities or entities that exist outside of our perception and that it is possible for humans to be unaware of them entirely. This perspective invites humility regarding the scope of human intellect and opens up a dialogue about the nature of existence and perception.
In practice
In a discussion about the limits of scientific knowledge, you might quote this to emphasize the unknowns.
Others indeed may talk, and write, and fight about liberty, and make an outward pretence to it but the free-thinker alone is truly free.
To be is to be perceived (Esse est percipi)." Or, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?
Truth is the cry of all, but the game of few.
All the choir of heaven and furniture of earth - in a word, all those bodies which compose the frame of the world - have not any subsistence without a mind.
The same principles which at first view lead to skepticism, pursued to a certain point, bring men back to common sense.
A ray of imagination or of wisdom may enlighten the universe, and glow into remotest centuries.
The modern pantheist not only sees the god in everything, he takes photographs of it.
Actually, it's the other way round. In a poor country, the only consolation people can have is the one that comes from their beliefs.
Every thought is a cause & every condition is an effect. Change your thoughts & you change your destiny.
We must not confuse the present with the past. With regard to the past, no further action is possible.
What countries must do to join the World Trade Organization is precisely what they must do to become productive and democratic: accept the rule of law, reduce corruption, and become open, accountable, and transparent.
Without reflecting that this is the only moment in which you can study character," said the count; "on the steps of the scaffold death tears off the mask that has been worn through life, and the real visage is disclosed.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.