Theme

Fear philosophy quotes

Philosophy quotations on fear, gathered from verified English renderings across traditions.

Why this theme matters

This theme page collects 6 English passages that touch fear as a philosophical concern—whether as a concept to define, a value to pursue, or a problem to examine.

In the history of philosophy

Related discussions appear across Greek, Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and modern European traditions. Use the quotations below as entry points, then follow thinker pages for fuller context.

Thinkers in this collection

Seneca , Bertrand Russell , Lucretius , Blaise Pascal , Thomas Hobbes

Frequently asked questions

What did philosophers say about fear?

They approached fear from ethics, metaphysics, politics, and lived practice. The passages below show several of those angles in compact form.

Where can I find philosophy quotes about fear?

This archive page is organized for that search intent: verified English quotations, with links to thinkers and related themes.

How should I read these quotations?

Read the sentence first, then check school and source. A quotation is a doorway into an argument, not a substitute for the surrounding text.

  1. There are more things that frighten us than crush us, and we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
  2. Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
  3. When human life lay foully for all to see, crushed to the earth under heavy religion…
  4. The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me.
  5. the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
  6. Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty.