Arthur Schopenhauer, Ph.D., German Philosopher, Atheist
To be happy, one must be as ignorant as youth. Youth thinks that willing and striving are joys; it has not yet discovered the weary insatiableness of desire, and the fruitlessness of fulfilment; it does not yet see the inevitableness of defeat.
Arthur Schopenhauer, Ph.D., German Philosopher, Atheist
He that increaseth knowledge, therefore, increaseth sorrow. Even memory and foresight add to human misery; for most of our suffering lies in retrospect or anticipation; pain itself is brief. How much more suffering is caused by the thought of death than by death itself.
Arthur Schopenhauer, Ph.D., German Philosopher, Atheist
All religions promise a reward … for excellences of the ‘will’ or heart, but none for excellences of the head or understanding.
By Madison S. Hughes (08.I4.2011)
I much prefer written correspondence to verbal communication, for verbal communication does not allow for due diligence of thought. I would much rather be afforded the opportunity to inflect my thoughts through proper written word than to hear the inflection provided audibly.
By Madison S. Hughes (07.25.2011)
Since Norway’s tragedy, at the hand of a right-wing Christian terrorist, I have noticed two interesting, albeit predictable, responses from Christians.
1. “He is not really a Christian; he is a madman that is mentally ill.” Why is it that when a right-wing Christian terrorist commits an act of terrorism it is presupposed that the Christian has a mental condition, but if a Muslim terrorist commits an act of terrorism the Muslim is presumed to be an Islamic terrorist?
2. “Anything to an extreme is bad.” Well, this particular tragedy was committed by a right-wing religious extremist. Consider this, if you will, religious extremists would not exist if there were no religion.
Arthur Schopenhauer, Ph.D., German Philosopher, Atheist
Since love is a deception practiced by nature, marriage is the attrition of love, and must be disillusioning. Only a philosopher can be happy in marriage, and philosophers do not marry.
He who marries from love must live in sorrow.
Clinton Richard Dawkins, Ph.D., (born 26 March 1941)
Ethologist, Evolutionary Biologist, Author, and Outspoken Atheist
Ignorance is something that can be remedied by education.
Sean Carroll, Ph.D., Theoretical Physicist and Astrophysics
I do admit that I’m regretful that there is no such thing as an afterlife. It is not compatible with the laws of physics as we understand them. There’s no evidence that we have for it, and we should always be skeptical when we want to believe something is true. I think that we want there to be an afterlife. That’s not an argument in favor of it. That’s a reason to be doubtful.
Religious suffering is at the same time an expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.
Karl Marx, Philosopher, Sociologist, Economic Historian, Journalist, and Revolutionary Socialist
Always Question Authority 