Foundation and Earth (Foundation, #5)

by Isaac Asimov

“You can’t have geniuses and saints without having people far outside the norm, and I don’t see how you can have such things on only one side of the norm. There is bound to be a certain symmetry.

“I shouldn’t think that history would be that easy to eradicate,” said Trevize. “In many ways, it isn’t,” said Pelorat, “but a determined and powerful government can weaken it greatly.

If we only obey those rules that we think are just and reasonable, then no rule will stand, for there is no rule that some will not think is unjust and unreasonable. And if we wish to push our own individual advantage, as we see it, then we will always find reason to believe that some hampering rule is unjust and unreasonable. What starts, then, as a shrewd trick ends in anarchy and disaster, even for the shrewd trickster, since he, too, will not survive the collapse of society.”

Rules, established with reason and justice, can easily outlive their usefulness as circumstances change, yet can remain in force through inertia. It is then not only right, but useful, to break those rules as a way of advertising the fact that they have become useless—or even actually harmful.”

“Then let me explain that my notions of morality tell me that I don’t trifle with my friend’s possessions—or his companionships.”

What anarchy there is in this Galaxy of yours. What chaos.”

In a Galaxy of anarchy, how is it possible to sort out reasonable actions from unreasonable ones? How decide between right and wrong, good and evil, justice and crime, useful and useless?

Superstition always directs action in the absence of knowledge.

“She is from elsewhere, Doctor.” “Ah, a strange world, this Elsewhere. A most unusual collection of human beings are native to it. —But

I accept only what I am forced to accept by reasonably reliable evidence, and keep that acceptance tentative pending the arrival of further evidence.

Where is the world whose people don’t prefer a comfortable, warm, and well-worn belief, however illogical, to the chilly winds of uncertainty?

Common belief, even universal belief, is not, in itself, evidence.”

It is easy to argue that a society that depends totally on robots becomes soft and decadent, dwindling and dying out of sheer boredom or, more subtly, by losing the will to live.

“if you wish to call the truth impossible, that is your privilege, but it will get you nowhere.”

If we look for them, we look for sparrow-milk and rabbit-feathers.”

“It’s really astonishing. Think how much the computer does for us.” “I think of it all the time.”

A planet might deteriorate even if human beings existed upon it, if the society were itself abnormal and did not understand the importance of preserving the environment.” “Surely,” said Pelorat, “such a society would quickly be destroyed. I don’t think it would be possible for human beings to fail to understand the importance of retaining the very factors that are keeping them alive.” Bliss said, “I don’t have your pleasant faith in human reason, Pel.

What was more, he was driven by necessity, and it is remarkable what one can do if the need is great enough.

Whole centuries might be telescoped or dropped out of consciousness altogether. Entire civilizations might be banished into forgetfulness. Yet out of the midst of these centuries, snatched from those civilizations, might be one or two factual items that would be remembered undistorted—such

Besides, when you have no basis on which to make a choice yourself, where’s the harm in at least considering the computer’s choice?”

“Is what you tell us legend or history?” “How does one tell the difference, half-Pelorat?” said Bander. “All history is legend, more or less.”

freedom is not truly absolute.

“Are you calling me, Trevize, or was that the soft breeze sighing through the waving grass?”

I must be the Great Fool of the Galaxy.

If you start dismissing anyone or anything you want to do away with as just a this or just a that, you can destroy anything you wish. There are always categories you can find for them.”

“Frankly,” said Trevize, “it’s annoying not to know the pronoun to use in connection with the creature. It impedes thought and conversation to hesitate forever at the pronoun.”

Human beings are very conservative in some ways and virtually never change numerical conventions once they grow used to them.