Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle Quotes - Page 2

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• Nature intends that, at fixed periods, men should succeed each other by the instrumentality of death. We shall never outwit Nature; we shall die as usual.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Death, Men, Usual

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• To despise theory is to have the excessively vain pretension to do without knowing what one does, and to speak without knowing what one says.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Knowing, Doe, Speak

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• A well-cultivated mind is, so to speak, made up of all the minds of preceding ages; it is only one single mind which has been educated during all this time.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Inspirational, Motivation, Mind

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• I feel nothing, apart from a certain difficulty in continuing to exist.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Certain, Last Words, Difficulty

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• I detest war; it ruins conversation

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  War, Political, Ruins

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• It is the passions that do and undo everything.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Passion

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• Truth comes home to the mind so
  naturally, that when we learn it for the first time, it seems as though we did no more
  than recall it to our memory.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Motivational, Memories, Home

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• It is beauty that begins to please, and tenderness that completes the cbarm.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Beauty, Please, Tenderness

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• If I held all the thoughts of the world in my hand, I would be careful not to open it.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Thinking, Hands, Would Be

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• There is nothing one sees oftener than the ridiculous and magnificent, such close neighbors that they touch.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Ridiculous, Neighbor, Ridicule

  "Oeuvres, Dialogues des Morts". Book by Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle (Chapter IV), traslated, 1683.

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• Our sun enlightens the planets that belong to him; why may not every fixed star also have planets to which they give light?

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Stars, Future, Light

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• In vain we shall penetrate more and more deeply the secrets of the structure of the human body, we shall not dupe nature; we shall die as usual.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Secret, Dupes, Usual

  Dialogues des Morts Dialogue V

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• Ah! si l'on o" tait les chime' res aux hommes, quel plaisir leur resterait? Oh! If man were robbed of his fantasies, what pleasure would be left him?

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Men, Would Be, Fantasy

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• The Art of Flying is but newly invented, twill improve by degrees, and in time grow perfect; then we may fly as far as the Moon.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Art, Future, Moon

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• L'univers?je l'en estime plus depuis que je sais qu'il ressemble a' une montre; il est surprenant que l'ordre de la nature, tout admirable qu'il est, ne roule que sur des choses si simples. I have come to esteem the universe more now that I know it resembles a watch; it is surprising that the order of nature, as admirable as it is, only runs on such simple things.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Running, Simple, Order

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• As astronomy is the daughter of idleness, geometry is the daughter of property.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Daughter, Science, Astronomy

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• They will have the World to be in Large, what a Watch is in Small; which is very regular, and depends only upon the just disposing of the several Parts of the Movement.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Life, Science, Watches

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• Since the princes take the Earth for their own, it's fair that the philosophers reserve the sky for themselves and rule there, but they should never permit the entry of others.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Sky, Earth, Philosopher

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• A work of morality, politics, criticism will be more elegant, other things being equal, if it is shaped by the hand of geometry.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Work, Math, Hands

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• The judgment may be compared to a clock or watch, where the most ordinary machine is sufficient to tell the hours; but the most elaborate alone can point out the minutes and seconds, and distinguish the smallest differences of time.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Differences, Ordinary, Watches

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• A man finds no sweeter voice in all the world than that which chants his praise.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Men, Voice, World

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• Les vrais philosophes sont comme les e le phants, qui en marchant ne posent jamais le second pied a' terre que le premier ne soit bien affermi. True philosophers are like elephants, who when walking never placetheir second footontheground untilthefirst is steady.

  Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle

  Elephants, Philosopher, Steady

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