There is no exercise of the intellect which is not, in the final analysis, useless. A philosophical doctrine begins as a plausible description of the universe; with the passage of the years it becomes a mere chapter - if not a paragraph or a name - in the history of philosophy.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Intellectual exercises are ultimately useless as philosophical doctrines fade into mere historical footnotes.
- In plain terms
- Philosophical ideas eventually become useless history rather than current truths.
- What can you take from it?
- Intellectual work often becomes obsolete over time.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is anything truly useless?
- Does philosophy progress or cycle?
Another view
It dismisses the value of philosophical progress or legacy.
More from Jorge Luis Borges
My undertaking is not difficult, essentially... I should only have to be immortal to carry it out.
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