Joseph Glanvill Quotes
Joseph Glanvill was an English clergyman, philosopher, and an early Fellow of the Royal Society. After studies at Oxford he served as a country parson in Somerset and as chaplain to Charles II, while producing a long series of philosophical and apologetic works in defense of the new natural philosophy of Boyle and his circle. The quotes below are attributed to Joseph Glanvill, organized by topic.
Browse Joseph Glanvill by topic
Joseph Glanvill on Freedom
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Attributed to Joseph Glanvill:
“The new philosophy frees us from the tyranny of authority.”
Joseph Glanvill on God
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“The indisputable Mathematicks , the only Science Heaven hath yet vouchsaft Humanity, have but few Votaries among the slaves of the Stagirite .”
Ch. 19 -
“No. 5 — "The Agreement of Reason and Religion"”
Essays on Several Important Subjects(1676)
Joseph Glanvill on Knowledge
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Attributed to Joseph Glanvill:
“We dogmatize in proportion to our ignorance.”
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Attributed to Joseph Glanvill:
“Knowledge is much advanced by the comparison of opinions.”
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Attributed to Joseph Glanvill:
“What we call certainty is rarely more than the absence of doubt.”
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Attributed to Joseph Glanvill:
“Inquiry is the proper duty of every rational soul.”
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“For Mathematical Sciences , he that doubts their certainty, hath need of a dose of Hellebore .”
Ch. 21 -
“The knowledge we have of the Mathematicks , hath no reason to elate us; since by them we know but numbers , and figures , creatures of our own, and are yet ignorant of our Maker's .”
Ch. 21 -
“The Woman in us, still prosecutes a deceit, like that begun in the Garden .”
Ch. 15 -
“The Understanding also hath its Idiosyncrasies , as well as other faculties.”
Ch. 15 -
“Ch. 17 — Cf. Francis Bacon”
Time as a River , hath brought down to us what is more light and superficial; while things more solid and substantial have been immersed. -
“The precipitancy of disputation , and the stir and noise of Passions, that usually attend it, must needs be prejudicial to Verity .”
Ch. 19 -
“Though we are certain of many things, yet that Certainty is no absolute Infallibility; there still remains the possibility of our being mistaken in all matters of humane Belief and Inquiry.”
No. 2 — "Of Scepticism and Certainty
Joseph Glanvill on Life
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“The Sages of old live again in us; and in opinions there is a Metempsychosis .”
Ch. 17
Joseph Glanvill on Mind
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“The belief of our Reason is an Exercise of Faith; and Faith is an Act of Reason.”
Essays on Several Important Subjects(1676) | No. 5 — "The Agreement of Reason and Religion"
Joseph Glanvill on Time
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“Time as a River , hath brought down to us what is more light and superficial; while things more solid and substantial have been immersed.”
Ch. 17 — Cf. Francis Bacon