An extravagance is something that your spirit thinks is a necessity.
Bernard WilliamsRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Philosophy has faced predictions of its demise for centuries, yet it continues to thrive despite changing academic trends.
This quote by Bernard Williams highlights the resilience of philosophy as a discipline that has been consistently challenged and predicted to be replaced by other fields such as sociology and literary criticism over the centuries. It underscores how philosophy remains relevant and fundamental, despite claims of its decline, illustrating the enduring nature of philosophical inquiry in understanding human existence and thought.
Themes
PhilosophyResilienceInquiryDeathPredictions
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on the importance of philosophy in modern education, I might say, 'As Bernard Williams pointed out, people have been predicting the death of philosophy for centuries, yet it remains vital to our understanding.'
More from Bernard Williams
All quotes →There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.
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Contemporary moral philosophy has found an original way of being boring, which is by not discussing moral issues at all.
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The majority of philosophers are totally humorless. That's part of their trouble.
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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.
Bernard WilliamsRead
If we try and fail, we have temporary disappointments. But if we do not try at all, we have permanent regrets.
Bernard WilliamsRead
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