Ninety percent of our lives is governed by emotion. Our brains merely register and act upon what is telegraphed to them by our bodily experience. Intellect is to emotion as our clothes are to our bodies; we could not very well have civilized life without clothes, but we would be in a poor way if we had only clothes without bodies.
Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) English mathematician and philosopher
(10 Jun 1943), Dialogues of Alfred North Whitehead [rec. L. Price (1954)]
An empire founded by war has to maintain itself by war.
Charles-Lewis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) French political philosopher
Considerations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romaines et de leur decadence, ch. 8 (1734)
You are eloquent enough if truth speaks through you.
Publilius Syrus (d. 42 BC) Assyrian slave, writer, philosopher
Moral Sayings, #861 [tr. D. Lyman Jr (1862)]
It is the rule in war, if ten times the enemy’s strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if double, engage them; if equal, be able to divide them; if fewer, be able to evade them; if weaker, be able to avoid them.
Sun-Tzu (fl. 6th C. AD) Chinese general and philosopher [a.k.a. Sun Wu]
The Art of War, ch. 3
It would be absurd if we did not understand both angels and devils, since we invented them.
John Steinbeck (1902-1968) American writer
East of Eden (1952)
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