nichiyes.com

Peter van Inwagen
“There are two kinds of scientists who spend a lot of time looking at the sky: meteorologists (who look at it during the day) and astronomers (who look at it during the night).”
“This must be one of the most annoyingly obtuse arguments in the history of philosophy”
“A second confusion or family of confusions endemic to the writings of materialists is evident when one considers their attempts to answer the question, What is the relation between the mental and the physical? I will not discuss those materialists who deny the existence of the mental—eliminativists or old-line behaviorists. As Jerry Fodor has said, it’s one thing to throw the baby out with the bath-water; it’s another to throw out the baby, the bathtub, the washbasin, the toilet, and the bathroom walls and ceiling and floor with the bath-water.”

Bharath Vallabha
“Here is a reason to think it is intrinsic. Academic philosophy is built on the idea of a pantheon: the philosophers who are considered to be the greatest of the greatest. Given the idea of this pantheon, academic philosophy purports to do two things: add to the knowledge regarding topics discussed by the philosophers in the pantheon, and introduce students to that pantheon. How can academic philosophy fulfill these tasks? It can only do so if some current academic philosophers are seen to have a special connection to that pantheon, who are deeply connected to the practices of the philosophers in that pantheon. These philosophers become the living pantheon, who channel the practices of the immortal pantheon for the current day, and who are the best bet to be in the immortal pantheon one day. But if there is a living pantheon, then there must be a pantheon of young philosophers, since the people in the living pantheon must have been young too at one point. These are the budding brilliant philosophers, and I think the appeal of the idea of the young genius is that here is the energy of the immortal pantheon pulsating in this very person in front of us, and that through that youth’s growth into genius we will have a front row seat of what it must be like to be in the immortal pantheon. Now, if there is this link between the pantheon and the youthful genius, then it seems to me that the hierarchy of academia is committed to that youthful genius concept. For I think the hierarchy of departments and colleges is nothing other than a mapping of where it is assumed most of the living pantheon and the young pantheon hang out, and so where one has to go to get a glimpse of them and learn from them, so that through them one might be connected to the immortal pantheon.”

Cornelius Vanderbilt
“You have undertaken to cheat me. I won’t sue you, for the law is too slow. I’ll ruin you.”

Bill Vaughan
“If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist it’s another nonconformist who doesn’t conform to the prevailing standards of nonconformity.”

Telly Vision (Chibi-Robo)
“To celebrate opening my new advice booth, I’m giving out free advice!”
“It’s Mister Sanderson’s toothbrush! But let’s take it anyway. I bet he won’t miss it.”

Sandra Visser
“Your arm does not have radical freedom.” (In response to TJ asking, “What if my arm has radical freedom?”)

Voltaire
“I have received your new book against the human race and thank you for it. Never was so much effort deployed in an effort to make us stupid. One longs on reading your book to walk on all fours. But as I lost that habit more than sixty years ago, I fear that it is impossible to resume it.” (to Rousseau)

Kurt Vonnegut
“God never wrote a good play in his life.”

Gunnar Voss
“Your character speaks for itself. I’m not attacking it when your own words already do it.”
“I’m willing to bet some solid money that there have been more than a handful of deaths resulting from some person thinking that they can handle a fire with their little red tube.”
“Outside of a religious dogma, why would one assume God is good? Realistically, I’d imagine a God(s) would probably be pretty close to Lovecraft imaginings. Beings beyond our comprehension that range from uncaring to antagonistic towards lesser beings. Optimistically, we’d have an apathetic creator god at best, with humans being the equivalent to an ant farm or some science project. I mean, an outright benevolent God, while a nice thought, seems like it’d be the most unlikely of Gods to exist in the grand scene of things.”
“I need to start keeping track of my own quotes. I’m hilarious.”
“In my experience, people who self describe themselves as “telling it like it is” and “having no filter” actually just seem to lack the most basic of social skills.”
“Merry Christmas! If you don’t celebrate Christmas then Happy Holidays! If you have a problem with me saying happy holidays then have yourself a happy shut the fuck up.” (FB status, December 2010)
“”Only God can judge me.”
No, no we all can. I’ll even do one better and be extra vocal about it.”
“After reading this discussion, I can conclude that it’s been going in circles for the last seven hours.” (May 2014, on my status about voting)