Stanley Cavell Quotes
Stanley Cavell was an American philosopher and one of the most distinctive voices in late twentieth-century Anglo-American thought. After early studies at Berkeley and Harvard, where he taught for the rest of his career, he wove together the legacies of ordinary-language philosophy, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Emerson, and Thoreau in a body of work whose reach extended into literature, opera, film, and Hollywood comedy. The quotes below are attributed to Stanley Cavell, organized by topic.
Stanley Cavell on Knowledge
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Attributed to Stanley Cavell:
“Philosophy is the education of grownups.”
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Attributed to Stanley Cavell:
“Skepticism is not refuted but acknowledged.”
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Attributed to Stanley Cavell:
“Tragedy is what happens when we cannot know.”
Stanley Cavell on Life
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Attributed to Stanley Cavell:
“There is a moment in our lives when we must choose between despair and the ordinary.”
Stanley Cavell on Mind
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Attributed to Stanley Cavell:
“The voice of conscience is the voice of intelligibility.”
Stanley Cavell on Truth
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Attributed to Stanley Cavell:
“What we ordinarily say must be heard with care.”