“Science itself had been crowded so close to the edge of the abyss that its attempts to escape were as metaphysical as the leap.”
The Education of Henry Adams (1907)
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Henry Adams311
journalist, historian, academic, novelist 1838–1918Related quotes
Silvio Berlusconi (1936) Italian politician
On Italy, as reported in "Italy on 'edge of abyss', says Silvio Berlusconi, offering a hand" in The Guardian (9 December 2012) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/09/italy-edge-abyss-silvio-berlusconi <br class="br">2012
Novalis (1772–1801) German poet and writer
Pupils at Sais (1799)
Context: Common Logic is the Grammar of the higher Speech, that is, of Thought; it examines merely the relations of ideas to one another, the Mechanics of Thought, the pure Physiology of ideas. Now logical ideas stand related to one another, like words without thoughts. Logic occupies itself with the mere dead Body of the Science of Thinking. — Metaphysics, again, is the Dynamics of Thought; treats of the primary Powers of Thought; occupies itself with the mere Soul of the Science of Thinking. Metaphysical ideas stand related to one another, like thoughts without words. Men often wondered at the stubborn Incompletibility of these two Sciences; each followed its own business by itself; there was a want everywhere, nothing would suit rightly with either. From the very first, attempts were made to unite them, as everything about them indicated relationship; but every attempt failed; the one or the other Science still suffered in these attempts, and lost its essential character. We had to abide by metaphysical Logic, and logical Metaphysic, but neither of them was as it should be.
Anne Frank (1929–1945) victim of the Holocaust and author of a diary
Source: The Diary of a Young Girl
“Ah, what balance is needed at
the edges of such an abyss.”
R.S. Thomas (1913–2000) Welsh poet
"Threshold", p. 110
Between Here and Now (1981)
Context: Ah, what balance is needed at
the edges of such an abyss.
I am left alone on the surface
of a turning planet. What to do but, like Michelangelo’s
Adam, put my hand
out into unknown space,
hoping for the reciprocating touch?
Carl Schmitt (1888–1985) German jurist, political theorist and professor of law
"The Tyranny of Values" (1959)
“There is no greater mistake than to try to leap an abyss in two jumps.”
David Lloyd George (1863–1945) Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
[Lloyd George, David, David Lloyd George, War Memoirs, New, 1, 1938, Odhams Press Limited, London, 445, XXIV: Disintegration of the Liberal Party]
War Memoirs
“Life is a traveling to the edge of knowledge, then a leap taken.”
D.H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter
“When the crowd acclaims its favorites it applauds itself.”
John Lancaster Spalding (1840–1916) Catholic bishop
Source: Aphorisms and Reflections (1901), p. 208
L.J. Smith (1965) American author
Source: Night World, No. 1