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Richard Price
82quotes
Richard Price
Full Name and Common Aliases
Richard Price was a Welsh philosopher, theologian, and mathematician who is commonly known as "the father of modern utilitarianism".
Birth and Death Dates
Born on February 23, 1723, in Glamorgan, Wales, Price died on April 25, 1791, at the age of 68.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Price was a British philosopher, theologian, and mathematician. His contributions to various fields, including philosophy, mathematics, and theology, have left an enduring impact on modern thought.
Early Life and Background
Richard Price was born into a family of modest means. His early life is not well-documented, but it is known that he received a classical education in Wales before pursuing further studies at the University of Edinburgh. He later became a minister in Llanbadarn Fawr, where he remained for over 40 years.
Major Accomplishments
Price's most significant contributions to philosophy were his writings on utilitarianism and moral philosophy. His influential book "A Review of the Principal Questions in Morals" (1758) laid the groundwork for modern utilitarian thought. He also made notable contributions to mathematics, particularly in the fields of probability theory and statistics.
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Price's most notable works include:
"A Review of the Principal Questions in Morals" (1758): a seminal work that introduced the concept of utilitarianism to Western philosophy.
"Observations on Reconciliation with America" (1776): a pamphlet that advocated for reconciliation between Great Britain and its American colonies, which helped shape public opinion during this tumultuous period in history.
Impact and Legacy
Price's ideas about morality, ethics, and human happiness have had a lasting impact on modern thought. His work on utilitarianism has influenced prominent thinkers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. He was also an early advocate for the rights of women and the abolition of slavery.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Richard Price is widely quoted and remembered due to his groundbreaking contributions to philosophy, mathematics, and social justice. His commitment to utilitarianism and human happiness has inspired generations of thinkers and leaders. Today, his ideas continue to shape public discourse on issues like morality, ethics, and human rights.
As a philosopher, theologian, and mathematician, Richard Price left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire and inform modern thought.
Quotes by Richard Price
Richard Price's insights on:
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Writers spend three years rearranging 26 letters of the alphabet. It's enough to make you lose your mind day by day.
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If I can tell you the story from beginning to end in five minutes, I'm ready to start writing. Then it's a constant spreading out of that five minutes.
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You can't take a character anywhere they don't expect the character to go. But within those confines is where creativity lies.
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I have offices all over the place and I avoid work everywhere. I don’t like to write – I like to be finished.
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He had the kind of droopy eyes that suggested he had never recovered from the exhausting experience of being born.
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I don’t need all that much – I just need to know who my characters are and what kind of jam they’re going to get into, and I’ll write myself out of their jam.
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I don’t write police stories, per se, but I usually write about areas that are very panoramic, like Harlem, or the Lower East Side, or a small urban city like Jersey City.
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As he reached for his Visa card, the security monitor next to the register caught Billy in all his glory: football burly but slump-shouldered, his pale face with its exhaustion-starred eyes topped with half a pitchfork’s worth of prematurely graying hair. He was only forty-two, but that crushed-cellophane gaze of his combined with a world-class insomniac’s posture had once gotten him into a movie at a senior citizen’s discount.
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I write because I write – as anyone in the arts does. You’re a painter because you feel you have no choice but to paint. You’re a writer because this is what you do.
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