“The similarity between Christ and Socrates consists essentially in their dissimilarity. Just as philosophy begins with doubt, so also a life that may be called human begins with irony.”

— Sören Kierkegaard

1840s, On the Concept of Irony with Continual Reference to Socrates (1841)

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Sören Kierkegaard 309

Danish philosopher and theologian, founder of Existentialism 1813–1855

Giannina Braschi (1953) Puerto Rican writer

“Irony, which in Socrates’ case consists of saying “too little,” functions for him just as hyperbole, which is saying “too much,” functions for Nietzsche.”

Alexander Nehamas (1946) Professor of philosophy

Source: Nietzsche: Life as Literature (1985), p. 26.

“Socratic trustworthiness depends upon devices of irony, both spoken and acted. … The irony of words prevents Socrates from being taken as the source of doctrines. The irony of actions prevents Socrates from being made into the literal founder of a philosophic school. … The ironic voice does not seek to possess the student, but directs him, lustlessly, to the desire of philosophy itself.”

Mark D. Jordan (1953)

Authority and persuasion in philosophy (1985)

“Aristotle’s view that philosophy begins with wonder, not as in our day with doubt, is a positive point of departure for philosophy. Indeed, the world will no doubt learn that it does not do to begin with the negative, and the reason for success up to the present is that philosophers have never quite surrendered to the negative and thus have never earnestly done what they have said. They merely flirt with doubt.”

Sören Kierkegaard (1813–1855) Danish philosopher and theologian, founder of Existentialism

Journals and Papers III 3284 (1841)
1840s, The Journals of Søren Kierkegaard, 1840s

“May you live in such a way that your death is just the beginning of your life.”

Max Lucado (1955) American clergyman and writer

Source: Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference

“It should now be clear that "wonder" and philosophizing are connected with each other in a more essential sense than may at first appear in the statement, "Philosophy begins in wonder." For wonder is not merely the beginning, in the sense of initium, the first stage or phase of philosophy. Rather, wonder is the beginning in the sense of the "principle" (principium), the abiding, ever-intrinsic origin of philosophizing. It is not true to say that the philosopher, insofar as he philosophizes, ever "emerges from his wonder"”

Josef Pieper (1904–1997) German philosopher

if he does depart from his state of wonder, he has ceased to philosophize.
Source: Leisure, the Basis of Culture (1948), The Philosophical Act, pp. 105–106

“Philosophy begins where religion ends, just as by analogy chemistry begins where alchemy runs out, and astronomy takes the place of astrology.”

Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011) British American author and journalist

Source: god is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything

“The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth.”

Peter Abelard (1079–1142) French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician

Variant: The key to wisdom is this - constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.

“It is not the similarity or dissimilarity of individuals that constitutes a group, but interdependence of fate.”

Kurt Lewin (1890–1947) German-American psychologist

Kurt Lewin (1939) "When facing danger". In Lewin, G. W. (Ed.), Resolving Social Conﬂict. London: Harper & Row.
1930s

“If physics leads us today to a world view which is essentially mystical, it returns, in a way, to its beginning, 2,500 years ago. […] This time, however, it is not only based on intuition, but also on experiments of great precision and sophistication, and on a rigorous and consistent mathematical formalism.”

Fritjof Capra book The Tao of Physics

Source: The Tao of Physics (1975), Ch. 1, Modern Physics, p. 19.

“The similarity between Christ and Socrates consists essentially in their dissimilarity. Just as philosophy begins with doubt, so also a life that may be called human begins with irony.”

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