Another savage trait of our time is the disposition to…
““Another savage trait of our time is the disposition to talk about material substances instead of about ideas. The old civilisation talked about the sin of gluttony or excess. We talk about the Problem of Drink--as if drink could be a problem. When people have come to call the problem of human intemperance the Problem of Drink, and to talk about curing it by attacking the drink traffic, they have reached quite a dim stage of barbarism. The thing is an inverted form of fetish worship; it is no sillier to say that a bottle is a god than to say that a bottle is a devil. The people who talk about the curse of drink will probably progress down that dark hill. In a little while we shall have them calling the practice of wife-beating the Problem of Pokers; the habit of housebreaking will be called the Problem of the Skeleton-Key Trade; and for all I know they may try to prevent forgery by shutting up all the stationers' shops by Act of Parliament.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Focusing on material objects as the root of social problems distracts from addressing underlying ideas and moral failings.
In simple terms: People blame objects instead of ideas.
Key Takeaway
Shift focus from objects to underlying ideas.
Themes
materialism
morality
social critique
language
culture
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- public policy debates
- education curricula
- media framing
- personal responsibility
- activism
Key Concepts
fetishism
moral philosophy
social constructivism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does labeling a behavior as a “problem of X” affect our solutions?
- What ideas are we neglecting when we focus on material symbols?
A Different Perspective
Objects cannot be solved by targeting the object alone; deeper cultural change is needed.