--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Philosophy is the thoughts of men about…" description: "\"Philosophy is the thoughts of men about human thinking, reasoning and imagining, and the real values in human existence.\" — Charles William Eliot" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/charles-william-eliot-18707_existence_philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about_1532031.jpg" --- # Philosophy is the thoughts of men about human thinking… ![“Philosophy is the thoughts of men about human thinking, reasoning and imagining, and the real values in human existence.” quote by Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/charles-william-eliot-18707_existence_philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about_1532031.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/charles-william-eliot-18707_existence_philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about_1532031.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/charles-william-eliot-18707_existence_philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about_1532031.jpg) > “Philosophy is the thoughts of men about human thinking, reasoning and imagining, and the real values in human existence.” [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement defines philosophy as humanity’s reflective inquiry into thought, reasoning, imagination, and the values that ground existence. **In simple terms:** Philosophy examines how we think and what we value. Key Takeaway Engage in thoughtful self‑examination. Themes knowledge values human nature Mood contemplative inquisitive Type academic reflective When to use this quote - academic study - personal growth - ethical decision‑making - creative problem solving Key Concepts epistemology ethics metaphysics imagination Questions to Reflect On - What personal values guide your reasoning? - How does imagination influence your moral choices? A Different Perspective Philosophy can become abstract and disconnected from everyday concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Human existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-existence/) [Human Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-thinking-536386/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Philosophy Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-thoughts-5477736/) [Phylosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phylosophy/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-value/) [Reasoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoning/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thoughts Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-men-1973606/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Values Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values-human-288353/) ## Related quotes > [Philosophy is not a body of doctrine but an activity. ...Without philosophy thoughts are, as it were, cloudy and indistinct: its task is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/philosophy-is-not-a-body-of-doctrine-but-an-activity-without/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [There is so much each one of us can do to make a difference. We are at a dangerous juncture in the history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/there-is-so-much-each-one-of-us-can-do-to-make-a-difference-we-are-at/) [Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/) > [Freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law... are universal values of the human spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-o-brien/freedom-democracy-human-rights-and-the-rule-of-law-are-universal/) [Robert C. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-o-brien/) > [So many people for so many years have promoted technology as the answer to everything. The economy wasn't growing: technology. Poor people: technology. Illness:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/so-many-people-for-so-many-years-have-promoted-technology-as-the/) [Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/) > [All fine architectural values are human values, else not valuable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/all-fine-architectural-values-are-human-values-else-not-valuable/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [Happiness can't be created always, it has to be pursued few a times…the nature and meaning of Happiness may differ from individuals to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santanu-mishra/happiness-can-t-be-created-always-it-has-to-be-pursued-few-a-times/) [Santanu Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santanu-mishra/) > [“No one who sees the plain fact that all moral and spiritual values of human life are in the individual, can possibly see any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/no-one-who-sees-the-plain-fact-that-all-moral-and-spiritual-values-of/) [Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/) > [Free women and men everywhere must wage an incessant campaign so that these human values become a generally recognized and practised reality. We must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menachem-begin/free-women-and-men-everywhere-must-wage-an-incessant-campaign-so-that/) [Menachem Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menachem-begin/) > [Science has nothing to be ashamed of even in the ruins of Nagasaki. The shame is theirs who appeal to other values than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/science-has-nothing-to-be-ashamed-of-even-in-the-ruins-of-nagasaki/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [ “\[G\]reat stories communicate simple truths that reflect the poetic dimensions of the human soul. Not only do powerful characters help us understand our lives,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-wright/g-reat-stories-communicate-simple-truths-that-reflect-the-poetic/) [Kate Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-wright/) > [The policy of seeking values from human beings by means of force, when practiced by an individual, is called crime. When practiced by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/the-policy-of-seeking-values-from-human-beings-by-means-of-force-when/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [I hope that we have a culture that values every human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-hope-that-we-have-a-culture-that-values-every-human-life-from-the/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [“It is frequently alleged that all human meaning, morality, and values can be nothing more than whatever human beings of different times and cultures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-s-gregory/it-is-frequently-alleged-that-all-human-meaning-morality-and-values/) [Brad S. Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-s-gregory/) > [The role of humankind is to use the cultural and social environment it has created to devise new global values… Human relations with nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/the-role-of-humankind-is-to-use-the-cultural-and-social-environment/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [When we become isolated, we are prone to being damaged; our minds lose their flexibility and natural kindness; we become vulnerable to fear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/when-we-become-isolated-we-are-prone-to-being-damaged-our-minds-lose/) [John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/) ## More by Charles William Eliot > [One could get a first-class education from a shelf of books five feet long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/one-could-get-a-first-class-education-from-a-shelf-of-books-five-feet/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [“You allow that we designate a disease as mortal when Nature is so severely attacked, and her strength so far exhausted, that she cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/you-allow-that-we-designate-a-disease-as-mortal-when-nature-is-so/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [Truth and right are above utility in all realms of thought and action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/truth-and-right-are-above-utility-in-all-realms-of-thought-and-action/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [Books are the quietest and most constant of friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/books-are-the-quietest-and-most-constant-of-friends/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [Let us remember that the times which future generations delight to recall are not those of ease and prosperity, but those of adversity bravely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/let-us-remember-that-the-times-which-future-generations-delight-to/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [“It is in vain that a man of sound mind and cool temper understands the condition of such a wretched being, in vain he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/it-is-in-vain-that-a-man-of-sound-mind-and-cool-temper-understands/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [The most satisfactory thing in all this earthly life is to be able to serve our fellow-beings-first, those who are bound to us by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/the-most-satisfactory-thing-in-all-this-earthly-life-is-to-be-able-to/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [“We should daily repeat to ourselves," I exclaimed, "that we should not interfere with our friends, unless to leave them in possession of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/we-should-daily-repeat-to-ourselves-i-exclaimed-that-we-should-not/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [Do not expect the world to look bright, if you habitually wear gray-brown glasses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/do-not-expect-the-world-to-look-bright-if-you-habitually-wear-gray/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [All business proceeds on beliefs, or judgements of probabilities, and not on certainties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/all-business-proceeds-on-beliefs-or-judgements-of-probabilities-and/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [Nobody has any right to find life uninteresting or unrewarding who sees within the sphere of his own activity a wrong he can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/nobody-has-any-right-to-find-life-uninteresting-or-unrewarding-who/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [I recognize but one mental acquisition as a necessary part of the education of a lady or gentlemen, namely, an accurate and refined use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/i-recognize-but-one-mental-acquisition-as-a-necessary-part-of-the/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [The efficient man is the man who thinks for himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/the-efficient-man-is-the-man-who-thinks-for-himself/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [Liberal education develops a sense of right, duty and honor; and more and more in the modern world, large business rests on rectitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/liberal-education-develops-a-sense-of-right-duty-and-honor-and-more/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [The strikebreaker is the hero of American industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/the-strikebreaker-is-the-hero-of-american-industry/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) [Explore all 34 Charles William Eliot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) ## More Existence quotes > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Browse all 7,646 Existence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Philosophy is the thoughts of men about human thinking, reasoning and imagining, and the real values in human existence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles William Eliot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about-human-thinking-reasoning-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Existence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about-human-thinking-reasoning-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/charles-william-eliot-18707_existence_philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about_1532031.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/charles-william-eliot-18707_existence_philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about_1532031.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/charles-william-eliot-18707_existence_philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about_1532031.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Philosophy is the thoughts of men about human thinking, reasoning and imagining, and the real values in…” — Charles William Eliot", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles William Eliot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Philosophy is the thoughts of men...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about-human-thinking-reasoning-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/philosophy-is-the-thoughts-of-men-about-human-thinking-reasoning-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```