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A writer must always try to have a philosophy and he should also have a psychology and a philology and many other things. Without a philosophy and a psychology and all these various other things he is not really worthy of being called a writer. I agree with Kant and Schopenhauer and Plato and Spinoza and that is quite enough to be called a philosophy. But then of course a philosophy is not the same thing as a style.

Gertrude Stein#22

WritingPhilosophyKnowledgeCraft

About this quote

What does it mean?
A writer needs philosophy, psychology, and other deep knowledge to be worthy. However, philosophy is distinct from style.
In plain terms
Writers need deep knowledge and philosophy but that is not the same as style.
What can you take from it?
Deep knowledge supports writing but is not style.

Where it applies

  • writing study
  • author development
  • literary critique

Putting it to work

  • reading widely
  • studying philosophy
  • developing voice

Questions to consider

  • What makes a writer worthy?
  • How does philosophy affect style?

Another view

Great writing sometimes comes without formal philosophical training.

More from Gertrude Stein

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  2. Human nature, human nature acts as it acts when it is identified when there is an identity but it is not human nature that has anything to do with that it is t…

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  3. The whole duty of man consists in being reasonable and just... I am reasonable because I know the difference between understanding and not understanding and I …

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