Well Said: Peasants Versus Philosophers

It wasn’t that they didn’t take an interest in the world around them. On the contrary, they had a deep, personal and passionate involvement in it, but instead of asking, "Why are we here?" they asked, "Is it going to rain before the harvest?"

A philosopher might have deplored this lack of mental ambition, but only if he was really certain about where his next meal was coming from.

Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum