Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not a…
““Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not a faith. We do not rely solely upon science and reason, because these are necessary rather than sufficient factors, but we distrust anything that contradicts science or outrages reason. We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free inquiry, open-mindedness, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake ... We are not immune to the lure of wonder and mystery and awe: we have music and art and literature, and find that the serious ethical dilemmas are better handled by Shakespeare and Tolstoy and Schiller and Dostoyevsky and George Eliot than in the mythical morality tales of the holy books. Literature, not scripture, sustains the mind and -- since there is no other metaphor -- also the soul.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Reason and free inquiry guide ethics, but art and literature also nurture moral imagination beyond strict rationalism.
In simple terms: Reason plus art shape morality.
Key Takeaway
Balance logic with creative empathy.
Themes
ethics
reason
art
literature
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
essay
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- policy debates
- personal moral dilemmas
- cultural criticism
Key Concepts
philosophy
humanism
aesthetics
Questions to Reflect On
- What role does literature play in your moral decisions?
- Can reason alone resolve deep ethical conflicts?
A Different Perspective
Pure rationalism may neglect emotional insight.