The instinct of nearly all societies is to lock up anybody who is
truly free. First, society begins by read more

The instinct of nearly all societies is to lock up anybody who is
truly free. First, society begins by trying to beat you up. If
this fails, they try to poison you. If this fails too, the
finish by loading honors on your head.

Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense.

Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense.

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

Without speculation there is no good and original observation.

Without speculation there is no good and original observation.

The process of evolution may be described as differentiation of structure and integration of function. The more differentiated and specialized read more

The process of evolution may be described as differentiation of structure and integration of function. The more differentiated and specialized the parts, the more elaborate co-ordination is needed to create a well-balanced whole. The ultimate criterion of the value of a functional whole is the degree of its internal harmony or integratedness, whether the "functional whole" is a biological species or a civilization or an individual. A whole is defined by the pattern of relations between its parts, not by the sum of its parts; and a civilization is not defined by the sum of its science, technology, art and social organization, but by the total pattern which they form, and the degree of harmonious integration in that pattern.

Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed.

Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed.

There are plenty of people to whom the crucial problem of their lives never get presented in terms that they read more

There are plenty of people to whom the crucial problem of their lives never get presented in terms that they can understand.

Though they seem at opposite poles, fanatics of all kinds are actually crowded together at one end. It is the read more

Though they seem at opposite poles, fanatics of all kinds are actually crowded together at one end. It is the fanatic and the moderate who are poles apart and never meet.

The nature of a society is largely determined by the direction in which talent and ambition flow--by the tilt of read more

The nature of a society is largely determined by the direction in which talent and ambition flow--by the tilt of the social landscape.