Theme

Mind philosophy quotes

Philosophy of mind asks what consciousness, thought, and mental life are—and how they relate to body and world.

Why this theme matters

Dualism, materialism, functionalism, and phenomenological descriptions compete. AI renews old questions about understanding and experience.

In the history of philosophy

From Aristotle’s psyche and Buddhist analyses of mind to Descartes, Wittgenstein, and cognitive science, the theme spans metaphysics and epistemology.

Thinkers in this collection

Arthur Schopenhauer , Bertrand Russell , The Buddha , Diamond Sutra , Wang Yangming , Boethius , Baruch Spinoza , John Locke

Frequently asked questions

What is the mind in philosophy?

It names the locus of thought, feeling, and consciousness—whether as soul, brain process, or patterned activity.

Can machines have minds?

That depends on what mind requires: behavior, information processing, or subjective experience. The debate remains open.

Where are philosophy quotes about mind?

This theme collects English passages on thought, awareness, and inner life.

  1. Reading means thinking with someone else's head instead of one's own.
  2. Envy is itself a terrible obstacle to happiness.
  3. Mind precedes all mental states; mind is their chief; they are mind-made.
  4. Give rise to a mind that abides nowhere.
  5. Mind is principle. Are there affairs or principles outside the mind?
  6. Nothing is miserable unless you think it so.
  7. We feel and know by experience that we are eternal.
  8. Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters.
  9. Best for a human being is to live life with as much cheerfulness and as little distress as possible.
  10. Before you looked at this flower, it and your mind alike were still; when you come to look, its colors suddenly become clear.
  11. You must change your mind, not the sky.