Theme

Will philosophy quotes

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

Why this theme matters

This theme page collects 6 English passages that touch will 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

Socrates , Augustine of Hippo , William James , Swami Vivekananda , Arthur Schopenhauer , Immanuel Kant

Frequently asked questions

What did philosophers say about will?

They approached will 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 will?

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. No one errs willingly.
  2. Give what you command, and command what you will.
  3. The essential achievement of the will is to attend to a difficult object and hold it fast before the mind.
  4. Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.
  5. All life is suffering.
  6. Act so that the maxim of your will could always hold at the same time as a principle of universal legislation.