An extravagance is something that your spirit thinks is a necessity.
Bernard WilliamsRead
The majority of philosophers are totally humorless. That's part of their trouble.
Interpretation
Philosophers often lack a sense of humor, which can hinder their work and perspective.
In this quote, Bernard Williams suggests that many philosophers approach their inquiries and beliefs with such seriousness that they miss a crucial element of human experience: humor. This lack of lightheartedness can lead to overly rigid thinking and a disconnect from the joyful aspects of life, indicating that a balance between seriousness and humor is essential for a more holistic understanding of philosophy.
In practice
This quote could be used in a lecture about the importance of humor in philosophical discourse.
An extravagance is something that your spirit thinks is a necessity.
There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.
Contemporary moral philosophy has found an original way of being boring, which is by not discussing moral issues at all.
People have been predicting the death of philosophy since the 17th century. When I was a student, people were saying, 'We're in the last days of philosophy.' Then we were told in the '60s it would be replaced by sociology, then by literary criticism.
Virtually the only subject in which one could ever get a scholarship to Oxford or Cambridge was classics. So I went to Oxford to study classics and, unlike Cambridge, it had a philosophy component, and I became completely transported by it.
If we try and fail, we have temporary disappointments. But if we do not try at all, we have permanent regrets.
All religions have honored the beggar. For he proves that in a matter at the same time as prosaic and holy, banal and regenerative as the giving of alms, intellect and morality, consistency and principles are miserably inadequate.
Synchronicity is choreographed by a great, pervasive intelligence that lies at the heart of nature, and is manifest in each of us through intuitive knowledge.
I don't know why I still find it so hard to accept that words are faulty and by their very nature innacurate
In history, the moments during which reason and reconciliation prevail are short and fleeting.
As it turns out, we don't "all" have to pay our debts. Only some of us do.
From principles is derived probability, but truth or certainty is obtained only from facts.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.