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.
The mountebank told them that God was surely trying to kill them, possibly because He was through with them, and that they should have the good manners to die. This, as you can see, they did.
Europe has been a place of refuge. Why should it stop with black and brown bodies?
Women are degraded by the propensity to enjoy the present moment, and, at last, despise the freedom which they have not sufficient virtue to struggle to attain.
Every individual matters and has a role to play in this life on Earth.
Eternity looks grander and kinder if time grow meaner and more hostile.
It doesn't matter how many drugs I take, I'm not fulfilled. This isn't satisfying. There's a spiritual hunger going on. Everybody feels it. If you don't feel it now, you will. Trust me. You will... Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's the real rebellion.
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