Quote#Wisdom
The "Eternal Why" begins to haunt his mind; "Why... am I here?" he…
Quote byKarl Pearson · 1857–1936
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: The Ethic of Freethought (Mar 6, 1883).
English (original)
The "Eternal Why" begins to haunt his mind; "Why... am I here?" he asks. What relation do I, a part, bear to the whole—the sum of all things material and spiritual? What connection has the finite with the infinite? the temporal with the eternal?
— Karl Pearson
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[M]y axiom runs as follows: "The whole is not identical with a part." This axiom leads us at once to a problem. What relation has the part to the whole?
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It follows... that... in every concrete religion the knowledge element ought to increase and the myth element decrease or... every concrete religion ought to be in a state of development.