A Theory of the Aphorism: From Confucius to Twitter

An engaging look at the aphorism, the shortest literary form, across time, languages, and cultures

Aphorisms—or short philosophical sayings—appear everywhere, from Confucius to Twitter, the Buddha to the Bible, Heraclitus to Nietzsche. Yet despite this ubiquity, the aphorism is the least studied literary form. What are its origins? How did it develop? Were the enigmatic sayings of charismatic sages the original “social media”? And why do some of our most celebrated modern philosophers use ap...