Joseph Priestley Quotes

United Kingdom, Theologian
March 24, 1733 – February, 6, 1804.

Joseph Priestley FRS (/ˈpriːstli/) was an 18th-century English Separatist theologian, natural philosopher, chemist, innovative grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist who published over 150 works. He has historically been credited with the discovery of oxygen, having isolated it in its gaseous state, although Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Antoine Lavoisier also have strong claims to the discovery.

Also known as Philosopher, Chemist, Educator, Politician

It is no use speaking in soft, gentle tones if everyone else is shouting.

Joseph Priestley
- Speaking
- Soft
- Shouting
Will is nothing more than a particular case of the general doctrine of association of ideas, and therefore a perfectly mechanical thing.

Joseph Priestley
- Ideas
- Will
- Doctrine

Could we have entered into the mind of Sir Isaac Newton, and have traced all the steps by which he produced his great works, we might see nothing very extraordinary in the process.

Joseph Priestley
- Process
- Steps
- Great Work
The more elaborate our means of our common sense is, the less the common sense it becomes.

Joseph Priestley
In completing one discovery we never fail to get an imperfect knowledge of others.

Joseph Priestley
When we say there is a GOD, we mean that there is an intelligent designing cause of what we see in the world around us, and a being who was himself uncaused.

Joseph Priestley
- God
- See
- Around
This is unfortunately a world in which things find it difficult, frequently impossible, to live up to their names.

Joseph Priestley
- World
- Difficult
- Live Up
We should like to have some towering geniuses, to reveal us to ourselves in color and fire.

Joseph Priestley

The wisdom of one generation will be folly in the next.

Joseph Priestley
- Wisdom
- Generation
- Next
Every man, when he comes to be sensible of his natural rights, and to feel his own importance, will consider himself as fully equal to any other person whatever.

Joseph Priestley
- Rights
- Equal
- Importance