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Aphorism |
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aphorism (ăf`ərĭz'əm), short, pithy statement of an evident truth concerned with life or nature; distinguished from the axiom because its truth is not capable of scientific demonstration. Hippocrates Hippocrates , c.460–c.370 B.C., Greek physician, recognized as the father of medicine. He is believed to have been born on the island of Cos, to have studied under his father, a physician, to have traveled for some time, perhaps studying in Athens, and to have
..... Click the link for more information. was the first to use the term for his Aphorisms, briefly stated medical principles. Note his famous opening sentence: "Life is short, art is long, opportunity fleeting, experimenting dangerous, reasoning difficult." aphorismTerse formulation of any generally accepted truth or sentiment conveyed in a pithy, memorable statement. The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates, a long series of propositions concerning disease and the art of healing. Aphorisms were used especially in dealing with subjects for which principles and methodology developed relatively late, including art, agriculture, medicine, jurisprudence, and politics, but in the modern era they have usually been vehicles of wit and pithy wisdom. Celebrated modern aphorists include Friedrich Nietzsche and Oscar Wilde. Aphorism a generalized, finalized, and profound idea of an author, expressed in laconic, refined form; it is distinguished by its apt expressiveness and obvious unexpectedness of judgment. Like a proverb, an aphorism does not prove or document but rather acts on the consciousness through the original formulation of a thought. The expressiveness of aphorisms increases with a decrease in the number of words; about three-fourths of all aphorisms consist of three to five words. Aphorisms are formed both in the context of scientific, philosophical, and artistic works and independently: “Mediocrity is more easily forgiven than talent” (E. Krotkii); “Each hears only what he understands” (J. W. Goethe); “Knowledge is power” (F. Bacon). The verbal fabric of aphorisms permits no changes. REFERENCESUspenskii, L. “Korotko ob aforizmakh.” In the collection Aforizmy. Compiled by E. S. Raize. Leningrad, 1964.Asemissen, H. U. “Notizen über den Aphorismus.” Trivium. [Zürich,] 1949, no. 2. A. I. FIURSTENBERG Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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No references found | PHILADELPHIA, the home of founder and aphorist Ben Franklin, has taken an old cliche--"penny wise, pound foolish"--to a new level The city doesn't want to spring for real speed bumps, so it's hoping fake ones will do the trick, despite hard evidence that they won't make any difference. [As the eighteenth-century German scientist and aphorist Georg Christoph] Lichtenberg [wrote in one of his "waste books"]: "He could split a thought which everyone considered simple into seven others, as a prism splits sunlight; and each one of them always surpassed the one before. If you are a student wanting to learn a bit more about the 18th-century German aphorist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, you would do well to read something more than James's 26-page essay which has, as its title and running header over those pages, the words "Georg Christoph Lichtenberg". |
aphorist |
aphony aphony aphony Aphordite Aphordite aphoria Aphorim Aphorim aphorise aphorise aphorised aphorised aphorises aphorises aphorising aphorising aphorism aphorism aphorism Aphorismatic Aphorismatic Aphorisme Aphorisme Aphorismer Aphorismic Aphorismic Aphorismos Aphorismos Aphorisms Aphorisms aphorist aphoristicaphoristic aphoristic aphoristic expression aphoristical aphoristically aphoristically aphorists aphorists aphorize aphorize aphorized aphorized aphorizes aphorizes aphorizing aphorizing APHOS APHOSA aphose aphosphorosis aphotic aphotic aphotic Aphotic region Aphotic zone Aphotic zone Aphotic zone APHP APHPPR | |||||||
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