Aristotle - Truth Quotes

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The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold.

Aristotle
To give a satisfactory decision as to the truth it is necessary to be rather an arbitrator than a party to the dispute.

Aristotle
The knowledge of the soul admittedly contributes greatly to the advance of truth in general, and, above all, to our understanding of Nature, for the soul is in some sense the principle of animal life.

Aristotle
He who cannot see the truth for himself, nor, hearing it from others, store it away in his mind, that man is utterly worthless.

Aristotle
A poet's object is not to tell what actually happened but what could or would happen either probably or inevitably.... For this reason poetry is something more scientific and serious than history, because poetry tends to give general truths while history gives particular facts.

Aristotle
The virtue of a faculty is related to the special function which that faculty performs. Now there are three elements in the soul which control action and the attainment of truth: namely, Sensation, Intellect, and Desire. Of these, Sensation never originates action, as is shown by the fact that animals have sensation but are not capable of action.

Aristotle
In the Laws it is maintained that the best constitution is made up of democracy and tyranny, which are either not constitutions at all, or are the worst of all. But they are nearer the truth who combine many forms; for the constitution is better which is made up of more numerous elements. The constitution proposed in the Laws has no element of monarchy at all; it is nothing but oligarchy and democracy, leaning rather to oligarchy.

Aristotle
All that one gains by falsehood is, not to be believed when he speaks the truth.

Aristotle
A brave man is clear in his discourse, and keeps close to truth.

Aristotle
Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends.

Aristotle
For though we love both the truth and our friends, piety requires us to honor the truth first.

Aristotle
So poetry is something more philosophical and more worthy of serious attention than history, for while poetry is concerned with universal truth, history treats of particular facts…The particular facts of the historian are what, say, Alcibiades did, or what happened to him.

Aristotle
The investigation of the truth is in one way hard, in another easy. An indication of this is found in the fact that no one is able to attain the truth adequately, while, on the other hand, no one fails entirely, but everyone says something true about the nature of all things, and while individually they contribute little or nothing to the truth, by the union of all a considerable amount is amassed.

Aristotle
Liars … when they speak the truth they are not believed.

Aristotle
With the truth, all given facts harmonize; but with what is false, the truth soon hits a wrong note.

Aristotle
While both [Plato and truth] are dear, piety requires us to honor truth above our friends.

Aristotle
Some men are just as sure of the truth of their opinions as are others of what they know.

Aristotle