All Iain Pears Quotes
- He (William Cort) had some desire to be successful, but it did not burn so strongly in him that he was prepared to overcome his… Achieve
- Virtue comes through contemplation of the divine, and the exercise of philosophy. But it also comes through public service. The one is incomplete without the… Contemplation
- For men are held above their fellows by the gossamer of reputation, which is so soft and fragile a breath can blow it away. Blow
- The simple fact that something has not been done, is no proof that it cannot be. Been
- Power without wisdom is tyranny; wisdom without power is pointless, Inspirational
- He who profits by villainy, has perpetrated it. Inspirational
- Philosophy cannot be extinguished, though men will try ... The spirit seeks the light, that is its nature. It wishes to return to its origin,… Enlightenment
- Manlius ... took care in his invitations, actively sought to exclude from his circle crude and vulgar men like Caius Valerius. But they were all… Absurdity
- [Men] prefer the foolish belief and the passions of the earth [to the enlightenment of their souls]. They believe the absurd and shrink from the… Absurd
- And a more foolish notion can scarcely be imagined, it being obvious that the reader is only informed of what the writer wishes him to… Almost Anything
- God forbid that I should ever suffer the shame of publishing a book for money, or of having one of my family so demean themselves.… Been
- Shame, I do believe, is the most powerful emotion known to man; most discoveries and journeys of importance have been accomplished because of the ignominy… Abandoned
- Who you are is less important than what you seem. Important
- I learned that I' have to be detached if I was ever to achieve anything at all. Achieve
- Every cataclysm is welcomed by somebody; there is always someone to rejoice at disaster and see in it the prospect of a new beginning and… Always Someone
- The devil himself can become beauty, so we are told, to corrupt mankind." (Marco) Beauty
- The point of civilization is to be civilized; the purpose of action is to perpetuate society, for only in society can philosophy truly take place. Action
- Was not Hypatia the greatest philosopher of Alexandria, and a true martyr to the old values of learning? She was torn to pieces by a… Alexandria
- Do you know, the only people I can have a conversation with are the Jews? At least when they quote scripture at you they are… Almost Everything
- She was looking for something I could never give her." Again his dark eyes bored into Julia's mind. "You have something of the same about… Advice
- For the first time, she did want more. She did not know what she wanted, knew that it was dangerous and that she should rest… Ache
- Action is the activity of the rational soul, which abhors irrationality and must combat it or be corrupted by it. When it sees the irrationality… Abhors
- The evil done by men of goodwill is the worst of all ... We have done terrible things, for the best of reasons, and that… All
- When all this is over, people will try to blame the Germans alone, and the Germans will try to blame the Nazis alone, and the… Ago
- In my small way, I preserved and catalogued, and dipped into the vast ocean of learning that awaited, knowing all the time that the life… All