“To understand a name you must be acquainted with the particular of which it is a name.”

1910s, The Philosophy of Logical Atomism (1918)

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Bertrand Russell 562
logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and politi… 1872–1970

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“The liberty which you demand from us in the name of your principles, we deny you in the name of ours.”

Louis Veuillot (1813–1883) French journalist

Misattributed
Original: (fr) Quand je suis le plus faible, je vous demande la liberté parce que tel est votre principe ; mais quand je suis le plus fort, je vous l’ôte, parce que tel est le mien

(fr) Also appears in the form "Quand les libéraux sont au pouvoir, nous leur demandons la liberté, parce que c’est leur principe, et, quand nous sommes au pouvoir, nous la leur refusons, parce que c’est le nôtre"

Misattributed to Veuillot in Dune (1965) by Frank Herbert: "When I am weaker than you, I ask you for freedom because that is according to your principles; when I am stronger than you, I take away your freedom because that is according to my principles."

According to Pierre Pierrard, this was attributed to Veuillot by Montalambert, and Veuillot protested he did not say it.

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“Names and attributes must be accommodated to the essence of things, and not the essence to the names, since things come first and names afterwards.”

Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) Italian mathematician, physicist, philosopher and astronomer

Variant translation: Names and attributes must be accommodated to the essence of things, and not the essence to the names, because things came first, and their names subsequently.
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Source: As quoted in Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo (1957) by Stillman Drake, p. 92

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“Fidelity (the name given to the constancy and exclusivity with which one particular sex organ penetrates or is penetrated by another particular sex organ, or abstains from being penetrated by or from penetrating others) is mainly the product of habit, as is its so-called opposite, infidelity (the name given to inconstancy and change, and the enjoyment of more than one sex organ).”

Javier Marías (1951) Spanish writer

La fidelidad (lo que así se llama para referirse a la constancia y exclusividad con que un determinado sexo penetra o es penetrado por otro igualmente determinado, o se abstiene de ser penetrado o penetrar en otros) es producto de la costumbre principalmente, como lo es también la llamada—contrariamente— infidelidad (la inconstancia y alternación y el abarcamiento de más de un sexo).
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