The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.
Philosophy begins in wonder. And at the end when philosophic thought has done its best the wonder remains.
The aim of science is to seek the simplest explanations of complex facts. We are apt to fall into the error of thinking that the facts are simple because simplicity is the goal of our quest. The guiding motto in the life of every natural philosopher should be, ‘Seek simplicity and distrust it.
Not ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance, is the death of knowledge.