QuoteProject
He who understands Archimedes and Apollonius will admire less the achievements of the foremost men of later times.
Gottfried Leibniz
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Understanding past knowledge makes one appreciate modern achievements less.

This quote by Gottfried Leibniz suggests that a deep understanding of the works of great thinkers like Archimedes and Apollonius allows one to see the foundations of modern accomplishments, which might lead to a diminished sense of admiration for contemporary figures. It implies that historical intellectual achievements are so profound that they overshadow the contributions of more recent individuals.

Themes

UnderstandingKnowledgeHistoryAchievementWisdomIntellect

In practice

Example use cases

In a lecture about the importance of historical knowledge in shaping modern science.

More from Gottfried Leibniz

We live in the best of all possible worlds
Gottfried LeibnizRead
I am so in favor of the actual infinite that instead of admitting that Nature abhors it, as is commonly said, I hold that Nature makes frequent use of it everywhere, in order to show more effectively the perfections of its Author.
Gottfried LeibnizRead
It is unworthy of excellent men to lose hours like slaves in the labor of calculation which could be relegated to anyone else if machines were used.
Gottfried LeibnizRead
According to their [Newton and his followers] doctrine, God Almighty wants to wind up his watch from time to time: otherwise it would cease to move. He had not, it seems, sufficient foresight to make it a perpetual motion. Nay, the machine of God's making, so imperfect, according to these gentlemen; that he is obliged to clean it now and then by an extraordinary concourse, and even to mend it, as clockmaker mends his work.
Gottfried LeibnizRead
..This is why the ultimate reason of things must lie in a necessary substance, in which the differentiation of the changes only exists eminently as in their source; and this is what we call God.
Gottfried LeibnizRead
...a distinction must be made between true and false ideas, and that too much rein must not be given to a man's imagination under pretext of its being a clear and distinct intellection.
Gottfried LeibnizRead

Similar quotes

Look within. _x000D_ _x000D_ Within you is the hidden God. _x000D_ _x000D_ Within you is the immortal soul. _x000D_ _x000D_ Within you is the inexhaustible spiritual treasure. _x000D_ _x000D_ Within you is the ocean of bliss. _x000D_ _x000D_ Look within for the happiness which you have sought in vain.
SivanandaRead
When I am with others, they are my teachers. I can select their good points and follow them, and select their bad points and avoid them.
ConfuciusRead
I believe in intuitions and inspirations...I sometimes FEEL that I am right. I do not KNOW that I am.
Albert EinsteinRead
Look at life through the wrong end of the telescope.
Dr. SeussRead
There is no single right answer or path forward, but there is one right way to frame the problem.
Clayton M. ChristensenRead
I'm not tough, and I never have been. I suppose over the years I've built up kind of a veneer to protect myself because I have functioned on my own for a long, long time, and I have never had a lot of flunkies preceding me to clear the way.
Lauren BacallRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.