Top 9 Quotes by John Wilkins

Garner up pleasant thoughts in your mind, for pleasant thoughts make pleasant lives.

Garner up pleasant thoughts in your mind, for pleasant thoughts make pleasant lives.

Positive Thinking, Mind, Pleasant

Science doesn't deliver even that much "truth"; it delivers empirically adequate generalisations, and that is all we need.

John Wilkins

Needs, Adequate, Generalisation

It is an excellent rule to be observed in all disputes, that men should give soft words and hard arguments; that they should not so much strive to vex as to convince each other.

John Wilkins

Men, Giving, Vex

John Wilkins (1802). “The Mathematical and Philosophical Works of the Right Rev. John Wilkins, Late Lord Bishop of Chester: To which is Prefix'd the Author's Life, and an Account of His Works; in Two Volumes”, p.134

Yet I do seriously and on good grounds affirm it possible to make a flying chariot in which a man may sit and give such a motion unto it as shall convey him through the air. And this perhaps might be made large enough to carry divers men at the same time, together with food for their viaticum and commodities for traffic.

John Wilkins

Men, Air, Giving

A Discourse Concerning a New World and Another Planet book 1, proposition 14 (1640)

Obscurity in writing is commonly an argument of darkness in the mind. The greatest learning is to be seen in the greatest plainness.

John Wilkins

Writing, Darkness, Style

'Tis certain that our senses are extremely disproportioned for comprehending the whole compass and latitude of things.

John Wilkins

Science, Compass, Certain

It is not the bigness of anything in this kind that can hinder its motion, if the motive faculty be answerable thereunto. We see a great ship swims as well as a small cork, and an eagle flies in the air as well as a little gnat. 'Tis likely enough that there may be means invented of journeying to the Moon; and how happy they shall be that are first successful in this attempt.

John Wilkins

Mean, Successful, Moon

"A Discourse Concerning a New World and Another Planet". Book by John Wilkins, Book 1, Chapter 14, p. 238-239, 1640.