Date: 1273

"For "opinion" signifies an act of the intellect which leans to one side of a contradiction, whilst in fear of the other."

— St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Date: 1273

"While to 'judge' or 'measure' [mensurare] is an act of the intellect, applying certain principles to examine propositions. From this is taken the word 'mens' [mind]."

— St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Date: 1601

The human mind is 'un degout de l'immortelle substance"

— Charron, Pierre (1541-1603)

Date: 1641

"If you do not accept this, then you must untie the knot which in your view must be binding us with adamantine bonds and preventing our mind from soaring above every kind of body."

— Mersenne, Marin (1588-1648)

Date: 1662

Reason is an "escoulement de la Divinité"

— Le Grand, Antoine (1629-1699)

Date: 1688

"Here's Cavities, says one; and here, says he, / Is th' Seat of Fancy, Judgment, Memory: / Here, says another, is the fertile Womb, / From whence the Spirits Animal do come, / Which are mysteriously ingender'd here, / Of Spirits from Arterious Blood and Air: / Here, said a third, Life made her fi...

— Barker, Jane (1675-1743)

Date: 1698

"Nay, such Gentlemen would be much offended their Houses should not be clean Swept, and Garnish'd; yet, they are not, in the least, concern'd, that Cobwebs should hang in the Windows of their Intellect, and Dusty Ignorance dim and blear the Sight of the Noble Inhabitant."

— Sergeant, John (1622-1707)

Date: 1698

"For, in case those Impressions on our Mind could have been made by means of the Senses, as aforesaid; then those Impressions, or Notions, being the Immediate Foundation, on which is built all our Knowledge, could not be call'd, or resembl'd to Rubbish; nor compar'd to a Hole, to lay the Foundati...

— Sergeant, John (1622-1707)

Date: 1704

"Wherefore consecrate the first Fruits of Reason to God; you can't begin the Practice of Piety too soon, but may be too late; Nature untainted with Vice may be wrought with ease into any Form, and cast in any Mould"

— Darrell, William (1651-1721)

Date: 1704

"It's a kind of tabula rasa, a Blank, that almost with the same Facility receives the Characters of Angel, and of Devil; but when once it's stained with Sin, when it's by-assed by ill Habits, and worse Principles, you will find it stubborn and rebellious."

— Darrell, William (1651-1721)