Reasoning Quotes

I think it's important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. The normal way we conduct our lives is we reason by analogy. [With analogy] we are doing this because it's like something else that was done, or it is like what other people are doing. [With first principles] you boil things down to the most fundamental truths…and then reason up from there.

You can't reason someone out of something that they weren't reasoned into in the first place.

The intellect is a cold thing and a merely intellectual idea will never stimulate thought in the same manner that a spiritual idea does.

I can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men.

Euripides was wont to say, silence was an answer to a wise man; but we seem to have greater occasion for it in our dealing with fools and unreasonable persons; for men of breeding and sense will be satisfied with reason and fair words.

Physics is a good framework for thinking. ... Boil things down to their fundamental truths and reason up from there.

I tend to approach things from a physics framework. And physics teaches you to reason from first principles rather than by analogy.

Skepticism is the first step towards truth.

… the thug is aware that loudness convinces 60 persons where reasoning convinces but one..

Have no respect whatsoever for authority; forget who said it and instead look what he starts with, where he ends up, and ask yourself, "Is it reasonable?

Intellect is invisible to the man who has none.

Science is what you know. Philosophy is what you don't know.

Knowledge and wisdom, far from being one, Have ofttimes no connection. Knowledge dwells In heads replete with thoughts of other men, Wisdom in minds attentive to their own. Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much, Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.

No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.

The pendulum of the mind alternates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong.

What is wrong with changing your mind because the facts changed? But you have to be able to say why you changed your mind and how the facts changed.

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.

The word 'belief' is a difficult thing for me. I don't believe. I must have a reason for a certain hypothesis. Either I know a thing, and then I know it - I don't need to believe it.

Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give us wisdom.

Common sense is the most fairly distributed thing in the world, for each one thinks he is so well-endowed with it that even those who are hardest to satisfy in all other matters are not in the habit of desiring more of it than they already have.

Definitions are the foundation of reason. You can't reason without them.

I am an intransigent atheist, though not a militant one. This means that I am not fighting against religion - I am fighting for reason.

A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it.

Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear.

A wise man changes his mind, a fool never does.