William Godwin

Date of Birth:

03-Mar-1756

Nationality:

United Kingdom

Profession:

Journalist

William Godwin was a famed English political philosopher, journalist, and novelist. He is regarded as one of the foremost proponents of utilitarianism and also the foremost modern exponent of anarchism. He is renowned for books namely, ‘Things as They Are; or The Adventures of Caleb Williams’ that condemns aristocratic prerogatives and ‘An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice’ that criticizes political institutions. With the success of these books, he conspicuously featured in the radical circles of London. Throughout his lifetime he wrote in the genres of demography, novels, and history. Following is a corpus of quotes and sayings by the eminent philosopher, which have been collected from his works, thoughts, writings, books, novels, journals and life. Read through the interesting quotes and thoughts by William Godwin.

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William Godwin

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QUOTES BY William Godwin

He that loves reading has everything within his reach.

No man knows the value of innocence and integrity but he who has lost them.

The extent of our progress in the cultivation of knowledge is unlimited.

There is a class of persons whose souls are essentially non-conductors to the electricity of sentiment, and whose minds seem to be filled with their own train of thinking, convictions, and purposes to the exclusion of everything else.

Man is the only creature we know, that, when the term of his natural life is ended, leaves the memory of himself behind him.

In contemplation and reverie, one thought introduces another perpetually; and it is by similarity, or the hooking of one upon the other, that the process of thinking is carried on.

If he who employs coercion against me could mould me to his purposes by argument, no doubt he would. He pretends to punish me because his argument is strong; but he really punishes me because his argument is weak.

There can be no passion, and by consequence no love, where there is not imagination.

I know nothing worth the living for but usefulness and the service of my fellow-creatures. The only object I pursue is to increase, as far as lies in my power, the quantity of their knowledge and goodness and happiness.

The diligent scholar is he that loves himself, and desires to have reason to applaud and love himself.