54 quotes
[T]he soul of love is the invincible difference of lovers, while its subtle matter is the identity of their desires.
L'Âme et la danse (1921)
What's loftiest in the mind can only live through growth.
Dialogue de l'arbre (1943)
If the state is strong, it crushes us. If it is weak, we perish.
History and Politics as translated by D. Folliot and J. Mathews (1971)
The wind is rising...we must attempt to live.
God created man, and finding him not sufficiently alone, gave him a female companion so that he might feel his solitude more acutely.
Tel Quel (1943)
The being filled with wonder is lovely, like a flower.
Dialogue de l'arbre (1943)
Man can act only because he can ignore.
Eupalinos ou l'architecte (1921)
It is a sign of the times, and not a very good sign, that these days it is necessary—and not only necessary but urgent—to interest minds in the fate of Mind, that is to say, in their own fate.
Regards sur le monde actuel [Reflections on the World Today (1931)
The artist works out his own formulas; the interest of science lies in the art of making science.
Moralités (1932)
Politics is the art of stopping people from minding their own business.
Tel Quel (1943)
Great things are accomplished by men who are not conscious of the impotence of man. Such insensitiveness is precious.
But we must admit that criminals are not unlike our heroes in this respect.
Regards sur le monde actuel [Reflections on the World Today (1931)
God made everything out of nothing. But the nothingness shows through.
Mauvaises Pensées et Autres (1941)
An intelligent woman is a woman with whom one can be as stupid as one wants.
Mauvaises Pensées et Autres (1941)
The painter should not paint what he sees, but what will be seen.
Mauvaises Pensées et Autres (1941)
We civilizations now know ourselves mortal.
La Crise de l'Esprit (1919)
Science means simply the aggregate of all the recipes that are always successful. All the rest is literature.
Moralités (1932)
Everything simple is false. Everything complex is unusable.
Mauvaises Pensées et Autres (1941)
The purpose of psychology is to give us a completely different idea of the things we know best.
Tel Quel (1943)
The “determinist” swears that if we knew everything we should also be able to deduce and foretell the conduct of every man in every circumstance, and that is obvious enough. But the expression “know everything” means nothing.
Regards sur le monde actuel [Reflections on the World Today (1931)
What are mortals for?—Their business is to know. Know? And what is to know?—It is assuredly: not to be what one is.—And so here are humans raving and thinking, introducing into nature the principle of unlimited error, and myriads of marvels!
L'Âme et la danse (1921)