Skip to content

Reason Quote by Ayn Rand

“But here you might have noticed something. I said, ‘It stands to reason’. Do you see ? Men have a weapon against you. Reason. So you must be very sure to take it away from them. Cut the props from under it. But be careful. Don’t deny outright. Never deny anything outright, you give your hand away…” quote by Ayn Rand
Download Open image
““But here you might have noticed something. I said, ‘It stands to reason’. Do you see ? Men have a weapon against you. Reason. So you must be very sure to take it away from them. Cut the props from under it. But be careful. Don’t deny outright. Never deny anything outright, you give your hand away. Don’t say reason is evil – though some have gone that far and with astonishing success. Just say that reason is limited. That there’s something above it. What ? You don’t have to be too clear about it either. The field’s inexhaustible. ‘Instinct’ – ‘Feeling’ – ‘Revelation’ – ‘Divine Intuition’ – ‘Dialectic Materialism’. If you get caught at some crucial point and somebody tells you that your doctrine doesn’t make sense – you’re ready for him. You tell him there’s something above sense. That here he must not try to think, he must feel. He must believe. Suspend reason and you play it deuces wild. Anything goes in any manner you wish whenever you need it. You’ve got him. Can you rule a thinking man ? We don’t want any thinking men.””

Ayn Rand

About This Quote

Reason is a tool, not an absolute authority; it can be limited, supplemented by instinct, feeling, or higher insight.

In simple terms: Reason has limits; other faculties matter.

Key Takeaway

Balance reason with non‑rational sources.

Themes

philosophy reason instinct cognition power dynamics

Mood

skeptical cautious

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

  • debating policy
  • propaganda analysis
  • personal decision‑making

Key Concepts

epistemology political manipulation

Practical Applications

  • question the authority of pure rationalism
  • integrate intuition in strategic planning

Questions to Reflect On

  • When does appealing to instinct become a rhetorical tactic?
  • How can we safeguard reason without dismissing intuition?
A Different Perspective

Undermining reason can justify authoritarian control; not all non‑rational sources are trustworthy.

4.5 out of 5 (8 ratings)

More by Ayn Rand

Explore all 1,777 Ayn Rand quotes

More Reason quotes

Browse all 23,417 Reason quotes