A man is never so truly and intensely himself as when he is most possessed by God. It is impossible to say where, in the spiritual life, the human will leaves off and divine grace begins.
William Ralph IngeRead
If the universe is running down like a clock, the clock must have been wound up at a date which we could name if we knew it. The world, if it is to have an end in time, must have had a beginning in time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the universe requires a creator or initial cause for its existence and eventual end.
William Ralph Inge's quote emphasizes the philosophical concept of causality, suggesting that just as a clock needs to be wound to function, the universe must have originated from an initial cause or moment. It raises questions about the nature of time and existence, positing that if the universe is finite, it must have both a beginning and an eventual end, implying the need for an intelligent designer or force that initiated its creation.
Themes
UniverseTimeBeginningEndCauseCreation
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on cosmology, one might use this quote to spark a discussion about the origins of the universe.
More from William Ralph Inge
All quotes →Don't get up from the feast of life without paying for your share of it.
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Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due.
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Deliberate cruelty to our defenceless and beautiful little cousins is surely one of the meanest and most detestable vices of which a human being can be guilty.
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The enemies of freedom do not argue; they shout and they shoot.
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Bereavement is the deepest initiation into the mysteries of human life, an initiation more searching and profound than even happy love.
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