Philosophers ought to aspire to know lots of different things and to forge useful synthetic perspectives.

It's a very bad idea for scientific conclusions to be accepted because they fit with the political values of a group of researchers.

I believe that the arts make indispensable contributions to our understanding.

I'm very suspicious of the idea of a "final theory" in natural science, and the thought of a complete system of ethical rules seems even more dubious.

It may be hyperbolic to declare that Shakespeare teaches us more about being human than all the natural scientists combined.

The "little theme" from Vinteuil, heard by Swann as emblematic of his love for Odette, remains a point of reference for him, as the character of that love changes and as the love eventually fades.

Science literacy consists in the ability and the desire to follow reports of new scientific advances, throughout your whole life.

The theory of evolution explains to us what our ancestry has been. It does not explain away our worth. Why should we be afraid to learn more about what we are?

In ethics, we don't make progress by discovering pre-existent truths; we do so by solving problems.

The point of philosophy, as I see it, is to change thinking, and thereby to change the conversation.

I take the ethical truths to be the stable elements that emerge out of ethical progress and that are retained under further ethical progress.

The vanity of Eve, that desire to exercise power, to seduce, to drag down!

If you find someone who makes you feel like you're complete, you need to fight for them.

There's always someone who cares. Someone whose life would simply stop. You just don't know it yet, or you haven't found them yet.

A truth that's told with bad intent - beats all the lies you can invent.

The adults were completely wrong.

I'm not interested in playing characters who see the world through my prism. I think the journey of understanding any character is to see how they tick and how they differ from you.

Love means never having to say you're sorry. Marriage means apologizing when you know you're right.

What we have is a more sophisticated form of imperialism, which is economic. But lurking in the background, always ready to go, is an armed force.

What is that in his hand?" "A cleaver. As in-" "Butcher's knife." "You got it." "I hope not." "He does not look happy." "Are you sure it's a he?" "I don't want to know.

If you want to be the best, find the best in others.