The business of the philosopher is well done if he succeeds in raising genuine doubt.

Let philosophy resolutely aim to be as scientific as possible, but let her not forget her strong kinship with literature.

It has generally been assumed that of two opposing systems of philosophy, e.g., realism and idealism, one only can be true and one must be false; and so philosophers have been hopelessly divided on the question, which is the true one.

By no amount of reasoning can we altogether eliminate all contingency from our world. Moreover, pure speculation alone will not enable us to get a determinate picture of the existing world. We must eliminate some of the conflicting possibilities, and this can be brought about only by experiment and observation.

If a philosophic theory is once ruled out of court, no one can tell when it will appear again.

Conservatism clings to what has been established, fearing that, once we begin to question the beliefs that we have inherited, all the values of life will be destroyed.

If religion cannot restrain evil, it cannot claim effective power for good.