A great memory does not make a philosopher, any more than a dictionary can be called grammar.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A great memory does not make one a philosopher, just as a dictionary isn’t grammar; memory alone isn’t sufficient for philosophical insight.
- In plain terms
- Having a good memory isn’t enough to be a philosopher.
- What can you take from it?
- Philosophy requires more than recall; it needs critical thinking.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What qualities truly define a philosopher?
- How does memory support deeper thought?
Another view
Memory can be a useful tool in philosophical work.
More from John Henry Cardinal Newman
The world is content with setting right the surface of things.
Permalink to quote #15 To be deep in history is to cease to be protestant.
Permalink to quote #17 Knowledge is one thing, virtue is another.
Permalink to quote #14
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