Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
When the philosopher's argument becomes tedious, complicated, and opaque, it is usually a sign that he is attempting to prove as true to the intellect what is plainly false to common sense.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Philosophical arguments can become convoluted when trying to justify the irrational.
In this quote, Edward Abbey suggests that when a philosopher's argument is overly complex or difficult to understand, it often indicates that they are trying to validate something that contradicts common sense. This reflects the tension between intellectual reasoning and intuitive understanding, warning us to be cautious of arguments that stray too far from what is evident and straightforward.
Themes
PhilosophyCommon SenseArgumentTruthIntellect
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on ethics, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of clarity and common understanding.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes →I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
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If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
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The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
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I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
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Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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