Pierre Gassendi Quotes
Pierre Gassendi was a French Catholic priest, astronomer, and philosopher and one of the leading anti-Aristotelian voices of seventeenth-century thought. He observed the transit of Mercury in 1631, discovered the aurora borealis as a regular natural phenomenon, and corresponded across Europe on the new astronomy. The quotes below are attributed to Pierre Gassendi, organized by topic.
Pierre Gassendi on God
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Attributed to Pierre Gassendi:
“The atom is the work of God, not the product of chance.”
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Attributed to Pierre Gassendi:
“Epicurus, rightly read, may be reconciled with the Christian faith.”
Pierre Gassendi on Knowledge
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Attributed to Pierre Gassendi:
“Sense is the fountain of knowledge.”
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Attributed to Pierre Gassendi:
“Reason without experience builds empty schemes.”
Pierre Gassendi on Nature
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Attributed to Pierre Gassendi:
“Atoms and the void are the elements of the natural world.”