“Only to the rational animal is it given to follow voluntarily”
X, 28
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book X
Context: Only to the rational animal is it given to follow voluntarily what happens; but simply to follow is a necessity imposed on all.
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Marcus Aurelius400
Emperor of Ancient Rome 121–180Related quotes
“Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing animal.”
Robert A. Heinlein book Tunnel in the Sky
Source: Tunnel in the Sky (1955), Chapter 2, “The Fifth Way” (p. 42)
“Man is not a rational animal. He is only truly good or great when he acts from passion.”
Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881) British Conservative politician, writer, aristocrat and Prime Minister
Book 6, chapter 12.
Books, Coningsby (1844), Henrietta Temple (1837)
Alexandre Dumas book The Three Musketeers
Variant: As a general rule... people ask for advice only in order not to follow it; or if they do follow it, in order to have someone to blame for giving it.
Source: The Three Musketeers
Porphyry (philosopher) (233–301) Neoplatonist philosopher
3, 18, 1
On Abstinence from Killing Animals
Gerald R. Salancik (1943–1996) American organizational theorist
Source: A social information processing approach to job attitudes and task design. 1978, p. 231
“Man is a rational animal – so at least I have been told.”
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist
Often paraphrased as "It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this."
1950s, Unpopular Essays (1950)
Context: Man is a rational animal – so at least I have been told. Throughout a long life, I have looked diligently for evidence in favor of this statement, but so far I have not had the good fortune to come across it, though I have searched in many countries spread over three continents.