Ruminations on what makes for a good first sentence are welcome, too, but what we’re primary looking for are examples of them. Have you ever experienced, in the words of Allegra Hyde, “love at first sentence”? Or if not love, infatuation? What are philosophy’s most beautiful, captivating, clever, fun, shocking, or otherwise noteworthy opening sentences?
What are the best opening lines of philosophy articles and books?
We’ve compiled lists of philosophy’s most beautiful passages and philosophical works with good, witty, or clever titles before, but, if memory serves me right, we have yet to solicit suggestions for great opening lines of philosophy articles and books. So let’s hear some.