George Henry Lewes
George Henry Lewes
George Henry Leweswas an English philosopher and critic of literature and theatre. He became part of the mid-Victorian ferment of ideas which encouraged discussion of Darwinism, positivism, and religious skepticism. However, he is perhaps best known today for having openly lived with Mary Ann Evans, who wrote under the pen-name George Eliot, as soulmates whose life and writings were enriched by their relationship, despite never marrying...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth18 April 1817
George Henry Lewes quotes about
steps inquiry analogies
The separation of Science from Knowledge was effected step by step as the Subjective Method was replaced by the Objective Method: i.e., when in each inquiry the phenomena of external nature ceased to be interpreted on premisses suggested by the analogies of human nature.
science systematic classification
Science is the systematic classification of experience.
uprising independence originality
Originality is independence, not rebellion; it is sincerity, not antagonism.
strength errors weakness
Insincerity is always weakness; sincerity even in error is strength.
genuine moved
The public can only be really moved by what is genuine.
historical doctrine spirit
Most expositions of Aristotle's doctrines, when they have not been dictated by a spirit of virulent detraction, or unsympathetic indifference, have carefully suppressed all, or nearly all, the absurdities, and only retained what seemed plausible and consistent. But in this procedure their historical significance disappears.
height speak argument
If you feel yourself to be above the mass, speak so as to raise the mass to the height of your argument.
train-of-thought indispensable train
In complex trains of thought signs are indispensable.
teacher plato disappointment
To his [ Plato's ] great disappointment, he found Anaxagoras adducing simple physical reasons, instead of the teleological reasons, which he had expected. Such a teacher could no longer allure him.
statements
Pliny... makes the statement, and for untrustworthiness of statement he cannot easily be surpassed.
good-writers
Good writers are of necessity rare.
effort adequate may
In its happiest efforts, translation is but approximation, and its efforts are not often happy. A translation may be good as translation, but it cannot be an adequate reproduction of the original.
hands literature may
All bad Literature rests upon imperfect insight, or upon imitation, which may be defined as seeing at second-hand.
taste opinion human-nature
Those works alone can have enduring success which successfully appeal to what is permanent in human nature -- which, while suiting the taste of the day, contain truths and beauty deeper than the opinions and tastes of the day.