Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
A prominent naturalist who authored the monumental 'Histoire Naturelle', a 36-volume encyclopedia that influenced generations of naturalists.
Most quoted
"The first truth that results from this examination is that the Earth is a planet, a star, which has its own movement, which turns around the Sun, and which, consequently, is subject to the same laws as all the other planets."
— from Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière, 1749
"Man is the only animal that can laugh and weep; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they ought to be."
— from Attributed
"Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be."
— from Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière, 1749
All quotes by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (406)
The greatest truths are those which are the most difficult to discover.
The most beautiful order is that which appears to be the result of chance.
The true scientist is he who doubts everything.
The style is the order and movement that one gives to one's thoughts.
The most beautiful discoveries are those which are made by chance.
The earth is a living organism, constantly changing and evolving.
The most important thing in life is to learn how to live.
The style is the dress of thought.
The most beautiful things in the world are those which are the most simple.
The earth is a vast laboratory where nature performs her experiments.
The true happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.
The style is the physiognomy of the soul.
The most beautiful spectacle is that of a great mind in action.
The earth is a living being, with its own life and its own laws.
The true wisdom is to know that you know nothing.
The style is the image of the soul.
The most beautiful things are those which are the most natural.
The earth is a vast museum where nature has deposited her treasures.
The true genius is he who can make the most complex things simple.
The style is the man himself, because the words are the man himself.
Contemporaries of Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707–1788).