CARTESIAN, adj. Relating to Descartes, a famous philosopher, author of the celebrated dictum, Cogito ergo sum --whereby he was pleased to suppose he demonstrated the reality of human existence. The dictum might be improved, however, thus Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum --I think that I think, therefore I think that I am as close an approach to certainty as any philosopher has yet made.
More Quotes from Ambrose Gwinett Bierce:
TIGHTS, n. An habiliment of the stage designed to reinforce the general acclamation of the press agent with a particular publicity. Public attention was once somewhat diverted from this garment to Miss Lillian Russell's refusal to wear it, and many were the conjectures as to her motive, the guess of Miss Pauline Hall showing a high order of ingenuity and sustained reflection. It was Miss Hall's belief that nature had not endowed Miss Russell with beautiful legs. This theory was impossible of acceptance by the male understanding, but the conception of a faulty female leg was of so prodigious originality as to rank among the most brilliant feats of philosophical speculation It is strange that in all the controversy regarding Miss Russell's aversion to tights no one seems to have thought to ascribe it to what was known among the ancients as modesty. The nature of that sentiment is now imperfectly understood, and possibly incapable of exposition with the vocabulary that remains to us. The study of lost arts has, however, been recently revived and some of the arts themselves recovered. This is an epoch of renaissances, and there is ground for hope that the primitive blush may be dragged from its hiding-place amongst the tombs of antiquity and hissed on to the stage.Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
LAOCOON, n. A famous piece of antique scripture representing a priest of that name and his two sons in the folds of two enormous serpents. The skill and diligence with which the old man and lads support the serpents and keep them up to their work have bee
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
Patience - a minor form of despair disguised as a virtue.
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
Self-denial is indulgence of a propensity to forego
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
NEGRO, n. The piece de resistance in the American political problem. Representing him by the letter n, the Republicans begin to build their equation thus Let n the white man. This, however, appears to give an unsatisfactory solution.
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
BARRACK, n. A house in which soldiers enjoy a portion of that of which it is their business to deprive others.
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
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Based on Topics: Philosophy Quotes, Reality QuotesBased on Keywords: cartesian, cogito, descartes, dictum, ergo
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