Georg Christoph Lichtenberg on Philosophy

"Do not commence your exercises in philosophy in those regions where an error can deliver you over to the executioner."

"If an angel were ever to tell us anything of his philosophy I believe many propositions would sound like 2 times 2 equals 13."

"I believe that man is in the last resort so free a being that his right to be what he believes himself to be cannot be contested."

"He who is enamored of himself will at least have the advantage of being inconvenienced by few rivals."

"The sure conviction that we could if we wanted to is the reason so many good minds are idle."

"Man is a masterpiece of creation if for no other reason than that, all the weight of evidence for determinism notwithstanding, he believes he has free will."

"If this is philosophy it is at any rate a philosophy that is not in its right mind."

"Here take back the stuff that I am, nature, knead it back into the dough of being, make of me a bush, a cloud, whatever you will, even a man, only no longer make me me."

"Reason now gazes above the realm of the dark but warm feelings as the Alpine peaks do above the clouds. They behold the sun more clearly and distinctly, but they are cold and unfruitful."

"Good taste is either that which agrees with my taste or that which subjects itself to the rule of reason. From this we can see how useful it is to employ reason in seeking out the laws of taste."