Philosophy consists very largely of one philosopher arguing that all others are jackasses. He usually proves it, and I should add that he also usually proves that he is one himself.
Interpretation
Philosophy often involves critical arguments against other philosophers, demonstrating self-reflection and irony.
In this quote, H. L. Mencken humorously critiques the nature of philosophical debate, suggesting that philosophers frequently engage in disputes where they label their peers as foolish while simultaneously revealing their own flaws. This self-deprecating observation highlights the contentious and sometimes contradictory nature of philosophical discourse, where the pursuit of truth often involves recognizing one's own biases and shortcomings.
In practice
In a lecture about critical thinking, you could use this quote to illustrate the importance of questioning both others' ideas and your own.
I know a good many men of great learning-that is, men born with an extraordinary eagerness and capacity to acquire knowledge. One and all, they tell me that they can't recall learning anything of any value in school. All that schoolmasters managed to accomplish with them was to test and determine the amount of knowledge that they had already acquired independently-and not infrequently the determination was made clumsily and inaccurately.
It takes a long while for a naturally trustful person to reconcile himself to the idea that after all God will not help him
It is the theory of all modern civilized governments that they protect and foster the liberty of the citizen; it is the practice of all of them to limit its exercise, and sometimes very narrowly.
The central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts.
The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy.
It is my conviction that no normal man ever fell in love, within the ordinary meaning of the term, after the age of thirty.
To believe that patriotism will not flourish if patriotic ceremonies are voluntary and spontaneous instead of a compulsory routine is to make an unflattering estimate of the appeal of our institutions to free minds.
Theology asserts propositions that cannot be proven true; ideologues hold stoutly to a worldview despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality. When ideology and theology couple, their offspring are not always bad but they are always blind. And there is the danger: voters and politicians alike, oblivious to the facts.
I won't undertake war until I have tried all the arts and means of peace.
Before examining this more carefully and investigating its consequences, I want to dwell for a moment in the contemplation of God, to ponder His attributes in me, to see, admire, and adore the beauty of His boundless light, insofar as my clouded insight allows. Believing that the supreme happiness of the other life consists wholly of the contemplation of divine greatness, I now find that through less perfect contemplation of the same sort I can gain the greatest joy available in this life.
Still may syllables jar with time,_x000D_ _x000D_ Still may reason war with rhyme,_x000D_ _x000D_ Resting never!
A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes anothers.
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