Aristippus Quotes
Aristippus of Cyrene was a Greek philosopher and the founder of the Cyrenaic school. A pupil of Socrates who reacted in a very different direction from Plato, he held that the goal of life is the immediate pleasure of the present moment and that all knowledge derives from inner sensations rather than from anything beyond them. The quotes below are attributed to Aristippus, organized by topic.
Aristippus on Freedom
-
Attributed to Aristippus:
“I possess, but I am not possessed.”
Aristippus on Happiness
-
Attributed to Aristippus:
“The wise man would not seek pleasure if it were always followed by pain.”
Aristippus on Knowledge
-
Attributed to Aristippus:
“Better to be a beggar than ignorant.”
Aristippus on Time
-
Attributed to Aristippus:
“Time present is the only thing we possess.”
Aristippus on Virtue
-
Attributed to Aristippus:
“It is not abstinence from pleasures that is best, but mastery over them without being worsted.”