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If cows and horses had hands and could draw, cows would draw gods that look like cows and horses would draw gods that look like horses.

Xenophanes

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Xenophanes
Elegist
Epigrammatist
Philosopher
Poet
Xenophanes of Colophon
Hands
Horses
Look
Cows
Looks
Gods
Would
Draw
Like
Draws
Horse
Atheism
Religion

More quotes by Xenophanes

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God is one, supreme among gods and men, and not like mortals in body or in mind.The whole [of god] sees, the whole perceives, the whole hears. But without effort he sets in motion all things by mind and thought.
Xenophanes
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Homer and Hesiod attributed to the gods all things which are disreputable and worthy of blame when done by men and they told of them many lawless deeds, stealing, adultery, and deception of each other.
Xenophanes
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If oxen and lions had hands and could paint with their hands and produce works of art, as men do, horses would paint the forms of the gods likes horses and oxen like oxen. Each would represent them with bodies according to the bodies of each. So the Ethiopians make their gods black and snub-nosed the Thracians give theirs red hair and blue eyes.
Xenophanes
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...for our wisdom is better than the strength of men or of horses. ... nor is it right to prefer strength to excellent wisdom. For if there should be in the city [any athlete whose skill] is honoured more than strength ... the city would not on that account be any better governed.
Xenophanes
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It takes a wise man to recognize a wise man.
Xenophanes
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The sea is the source of water and the source of wind for neither would blasts of wind arise in the clouds and blow out from within them, except for the great sea, nor would the streams of rivers nor the rain-water in the sky exist but for the sea but the great sea is the begetter of clouds and winds and rivers.
Xenophanes
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Pure truth no man has seen, nor ever shall know.
Xenophanes
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Even if a man should chance to speak the most complete truth, yet he himself does not know it all things are wrapped in appearances
Xenophanes
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Men always makes gods in their own image.
Xenophanes
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Truly the gods have not from the beginning revealed all things to mortals, but by long seeking, mortals discover what is better.
Xenophanes
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Ethiopians imagine their gods as black and snub-nosed Thracians blue-eyed and red-haired. But if horses or lions had hands, or could draw and fashion works as men do, horses would draw the gods shaped like horses and lions like lions, making the gods resemble themselves.
Xenophanes
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The sun comes into being each day from little pieces of fire that are collected.
Xenophanes
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But without effort [God] sets in motion all things by mind and thought.
Xenophanes
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For all things come from earth, and all things end by becoming earth.
Xenophanes
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If cattle and horses, or lions, had hands...
Xenophanes
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If oxen and horses and lions could draw and paint, they would delineate the gods in their own image.
Xenophanes
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This upper limit, of earth at our feet is visible and touches the air, but below it reaches to infinity
Xenophanes
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God is one, greatest of gods and men, not like mortals in body or thought.
Xenophanes
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The Ethiopians say that their gods are snub-nosed and black the Thracians that theirs have light blue eyes and red hair.
Xenophanes
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All things that come into being and grow are earth and water.
Xenophanes