A Dictionary of Philosophical Quotations

by Alfred Jules Ayer (Editor)

A collection of quotations by more than three hundred philosophers, including Aristotle, Karl Marx, Rene Descartes, William James, John Locke, and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Genres: Philosophy, Reference

528 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

In 1910, Sir Alfred Jules Ayer was born in London into a wealthy family. His father was a Swiss Calvinist and his mother was of Dutch-Jewish ancestry. Ayer attended Eton College and studied philosophy and Greek at Oxford University. From 1946 to 1959, he taught philosophy at University College London. He then became Wykeham Professor of Logic at the University of Oxford. Ayer was knighted in 1970. Included among his many works are The Foundations of Empirical Knowledge (1940), The Problem of Knowledge (1956), The Origins of Pragmatism (1968), Metaphysics and Common Sense (1969), Bertrand Russell (1972) and Hume (1980), about philosopher David Hume. Later in life, Ayer frequently identified himself as an atheist and became active in humanist causes. He was the first vice president of the British Humanist Association and served as its president from 1965 to 1970. He was an Honorary Associate of the Rationalist Press Association from 1947 until his death. He was also an honorary member of the Bertrand Russell. In 1988, Ayer had a near-death experience in the United States after choking on salmon and subsequently losing consciousness. He wrote of his experience in “That Undiscovered Country” (New Humanist, May 1989): “My recent experiences have slightly weakened my conviction that my genuine death, which is due fairly soon, will be the end of me, though I continue to hope that it will be. They have not weakened my conviction that there is no god. I trust that my remaining an atheist will allay the anxieties of my fellow supporters of the British Humanist Association, the Rationalist Press Association and the South Place Ethical Society.” He died shortly after at age 78 in London. D. 1989.

More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Ayer

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ayer/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytho/AyerbyT...

http://badassphilosophers.tumblr.com/...

http://www.informationphilosopher.com...

Reviews

[Angel Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m just a curious adolescent, who wants to learn and study this wonderful thoughts through history. However, visualize or created a image in my mind of this powerful this quotes, giving a mood of sense to the reader of universal truth. Reasoning can be difficult or frustrating but education is the only way in this world to understand the beauty of life and tragedy. So many questions no answers God is real that’s all I have to say because in my opinion it’s impossible to fabricate body parts..... My homeland Dominican Republic in the Atlantic Ocean 6 years ago, I move to America New York I became a citizen I am proud but I don’t identify myself with those son of a bitches that are racist I’m proud of myself there things in life the money can’t really buy its values and morals. I don’t trust nobody no even myself but I do believe if we all work together we can change this World of Suffering “We the People” written on the First 10 Bill of Rights. I will fall in love with this book.

[Cameron Cannady]

I luv this book!!!!

[WT Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 501 page collection by the late, great A.J. Ayer is just what the title implies. This is well-researched, the quotations are carefully chosen, and the editors, A.J. Ayer and Jane O'Grady, have done a fine job of providing the original sources. The selections include words from the Pre-Socratics to the "Four Horsemen" of our own era. This is another one of the great books of quotations in my collection (and trust me; not all books of quotations are created equal), and another that's been read to the point where the book is falling apart. Very highly recommended.

[Geoffrey Gioja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skip around this book and leave those little copper page-tabs where I find something I like.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously high-class john lit. My understanding of Hegel, such as it is, comes solely from this book. I leave it on the back of my toilet to impress my friends when they come over for parties.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best reference book for Philosophers