Rationalist Quotes (5 quotes)
A hot topic of late, expressed most notably in Bernie Siegels best-selling books, has emphasized the role of positive attitude in combating such serious diseases as cancer. From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom.
...
Perhaps I am just a hopeless rationalist, but isnt fascination as comforting as solace? Isnt nature immeasurably more interesting for its complexities and its lack of conformity to our hopes? Isnt curiosity as wondrously and fundamentally human as compassion?
...
So-called psychoanalysis is the occupation of lustful rationalists who trace everything in the world to sexual causeswith the exception of their occupation.
Trans. by Harry Zohn, originally published in Beim Wort genommen (1955). Half-Truths and One-and-a-Half Truths, University of Chicago Press (1990)
The various systems of doctrine that have held dominion over man have been demonstrated to be true beyond all question by rationalists of such powerto name only a fewas Aquinas and Calvin and Hegel and Marx. Guided by these master hands the intellect has shown itself more deadly than cholera or bubonic plague and far more cruel. The incompatibility with one another of all the great systems of doctrine might surely be have expected to provoke some curiosity about their nature.
In 'Has the Intellect A Function?', The Collected Papers of Wilfred Trotter, FRS (1941), 167.
There can be no greater ignominy for an enlightened rationalist than to perish in consequence of some incident involving spirits.
Notebooks from New Guinea
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
