--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Philosophy, beginning in wonder, as Plato…" description: "\"“Philosophy, beginning in wonder, as Plato and Aristotle said, is able to fancy everything different from what it is. It sees the familiar as if it wer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/william-james-228_able_philosophy-beginning-in-wonder-as-plato_795493.jpg" --- # Philosophy, beginning in wonder, as Plato and Aristotle… ![“Philosophy, beginning in wonder, as Plato and Aristotle said, is able to fancy everything different from what it is. It sees the familiar as if it were strange, and the strange as if it were familiar. It can take things up and lay them down again. It rouses us from our native dogmatic slumber and…” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/william-james-228_able_philosophy-beginning-in-wonder-as-plato_795493.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/william-james-228_able_philosophy-beginning-in-wonder-as-plato_795493.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/william-james-228_able_philosophy-beginning-in-wonder-as-plato_795493.jpg) > ““Philosophy, beginning in wonder, as Plato and Aristotle said, is able to fancy everything different from what it is. It sees the familiar as if it were strange, and the strange as if it were familiar. It can take things up and lay them down again. It rouses us from our native dogmatic slumber and breaks up our caked prejudices.”” [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophy starts with awe, seeing the familiar as strange and vice versa, challenging fixed beliefs and opening fresh perspectives. **In simple terms:** Wonder makes us question assumptions. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity to break mental habits. Themes wonder critical thinking perspective growth Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - art critique - personal development - cultural analysis Key Concepts epistemology phenomenology creativity Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions feel familiar yet strange? - How can wonder reshape your daily view? A Different Perspective It may lead to paralysis by over‑questioning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Plato and aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plato-and-aristotle/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [“Philosophy begins in wonder." -Plato”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/philosophy-begins-in-wonder-plato/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [There is a truth in Schopenhauer’s view that philosophy is an organism, and that a book on philosophy, with a beginning and end, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/there-is-a-truth-in-schopenhauer-s-view-that-philosophy-is-an/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [But inside or out, I was alone, and I was beginning to wonder if I always had been, if I always would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/but-inside-or-out-i-was-alone-and-i-was-beginning-to-wonder-if-i/) [Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/) > [“I’m suddenly beginning to wonder if all this war is worth it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-meade/i-m-suddenly-beginning-to-wonder-if-all-this-war-is-worth-it/) [Glenn Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-meade/) > [I freely admit that the remembrance of David Hume was the very thing that many years ago first interrupted my dogmatic slumber and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/i-freely-admit-that-the-remembrance-of-david-hume-was-the-very-thing/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [...More than almost any current book, DTU will wake the reader from his dogmatic slumbers. 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