Offering “a brief abstract of the wisdom of all ages,” this collection of quotations compiles thousands of the Western canon’s most distinct ideas, in their most succinct expression. Literary critic Craufurd Tait Ramage gathers the bon mots of the cultural leaders who shaped Western literature, philosophy, art, science, and religion—from Homer to Schopenhauer. Savor the essence of philosophies from the Platonic Idealism of the fifth century BC to the German Idealism of the eighteenth century—from “know thyself” to “I think, therefore I am.”
For each thinker, Ramage provides a biographical sketch covering the most salient context and contributions of their lives. In most cases, he gives the quote in its original language alongside an English translation. He often stops to analyze how the thoughts of our great thinkers echo themes found in the Bible.
