René Descartes Quotes

Good sense is the most evenly distributed thing in the world; for everyone believes himself to be so well provided with it that even those who are the hardest to please in every other way do not usually want more of it than they already have.

My third maxim was to endeavor always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and change my desires rather than the order of the world, and in general, accustom myself to the persuasion that, except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power; so that when we have done our best in things external to us, all wherein we fail of success is to be held, as regards us, absolutely impossible: and this single principle seemed to me sufficient to prevent me from desiring for the future anything which I could not obtain, and thus render me contented

Let whoever can do so deceive me, he will never bring it about that I am nothing, so long as I continue to think I am something.

But after I had imployed some years in thus studying the Book of the World, and endeavouring to get experience, I took one day a resolution to study also within my self, and to employ all the forces of my minde in the choice of the way I was to follow: which (me thought) succeeded much better, then if I had never estranged my self from my Country, or from my Books.

Η ευγλωττία έχει μια ασύγκριτη δύναμη και ομορφιά, ότι η ποίηση διαθέτει μια ευαισθησία και μια γλυκύτητα πραγματικά σαγηνευτική.

Doubt is the origin of wisdom

It is impossible for individuals to examine the huge number of new books that are being published every day

there is often not so much perfection in works composed of many pieces and made by the hands of various master craftsmen as there is in those works on which but a single individual has worked.

Each problem that I solved became a rule, which served afterwards to solve other problems.

Γνωρίζω ότι υπάρχω, και ρωτάω ποιος είμαι εγώ, το εγώ που γνωρίζω. Είναι παραπάνω από βέβαιο ότι γνώση που έχω γι' αυτό το εγώ, με την ακριβή του έννοια, δεν εξαρτάται από αυτό που δεν γνωρίζω ακόμα αν υπάρχει.

No hay nada repartido de modo más equitativo en el mundo que la razón: todo el mundo está convencido de tener suficiente.

During the nine subsequent years, I did nothing but roam from one place to another, desirous of being a spectator rather than an actor in the plays exhibited on the theater of the world.

Sağduyu dünyanın en iyi paylaştırılmış şeyidir, zira herkes onunla öylesine iyi donatılmış olduğunu düşünür ki başka her şeyde çok zor memnun olanlar bile sahip oldukları sağduyudan fazlasını hiç de arzu etmezler.

hay pocas personas que consientan en decir lo que creen, sino también porque muchas lo ignoran, pues el acto del pensamiento, por el cual uno cree una cosa, es diferente de aquel otro por el cual uno conoce que la cree,

The reading of all good books is indeed like a conversation with the noblest men of past centuries who were the authors of them, nay a carefully studied conversation, in which they reveal to us none but the best of their thoughts.