--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An open mind, in questions that are not…" description: "\"“An open mind, in questions that are not ultimate, is useful. But an open mind about the ultimate foundations either of Theoretical or of Practical Rea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab4/c-s-lewis-121_open-mind_an-open-mind-in-questions-that-are-not-u_2022392.jpg" --- # An open mind, in questions that are not ultimate, is… ![“An open mind, in questions that are not ultimate, is useful. But an open mind about the ultimate foundations either of Theoretical or of Practical Reason is idiocy.” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab4/c-s-lewis-121_open-mind_an-open-mind-in-questions-that-are-not-u_2022392.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab4/c-s-lewis-121_open-mind_an-open-mind-in-questions-that-are-not-u_2022392.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab4/c-s-lewis-121_open-mind_an-open-mind-in-questions-that-are-not-u_2022392.jpg) > ““An open mind, in questions that are not ultimate, is useful. But an open mind about the ultimate foundations either of Theoretical or of Practical Reason is idiocy.”” [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Distinguishing between open inquiry on provisional matters and unquestioning acceptance of ultimate foundations. **In simple terms:** Question basics, but not fundamentals. Key Takeaway Question everything except core beliefs. Themes philosophy critical thinking faith Mood thoughtful skeptical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic debate - personal belief systems - ethical decision making Key Concepts epistemology foundationalism Questions to Reflect On - What ultimate beliefs do you hold without question? - How might questioning them affect your worldview? A Different Perspective Blind faith in fundamentals can hinder progress; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idiocy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiocy/) [Open mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [“An open mind, in questions that are not ultimate, is useful. But an open mind about the ultimate foundations either of Theoretical or of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/an-open-mind-in-questions-that-are-not-ultimate-is-useful-but-an-open/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [An open mind, in questions that are not ultimate, is useful. But an open mind about the ultimate foundations either of Theoretical or of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-open-mind-in-questions-that-are-not-ultimate-is-useful-but-an-open-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A mind with questions is a mind open to understanding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-houck/a-mind-with-questions-is-a-mind-open-to-understanding/) [Colleen Houck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-houck/) > [A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/a-well-educated-mind-will-always-have-more-questions-than-answers/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [In general, the questions that are on our mind are the same questions that have been driving our work over the past decade. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/in-general-the-questions-that-are-on-our-mind-are-the-same-questions/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [We do not act because we know, but we know because we are called upon to act; the practical reason is the root of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-gottlieb-fichte/we-do-not-act-because-we-know-but-we-know-because-we-are-called-upon/) [Johann Gottlieb Fichte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-gottlieb-fichte/) > [There can't be a practical reason for believing something that is not true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-can-t-be-a-practical-reason-for-believing-something-that-is-not/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The only objects of practical reason are therefore those of good and evil. For by the former is meant an object necessarily desired according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-only-objects-of-practical-reason-are-therefore-those-of-good-and/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Our obligation to the will of God is our obligation to the laws of practical reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-alexander-leighton/our-obligation-to-the-will-of-god-is-our-obligation-to-the-laws-of/) [Joseph Alexander Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-alexander-leighton/) > [The possibility of a scientific treatment of history means a wider experience, a greater maturity of practical reason, and finally a fuller realization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-iqbal/the-possibility-of-a-scientific-treatment-of-history-means-a-wider/) [Muhammad Iqbal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-iqbal/) > [“Pure practical reason, even with a good knowledge of the facts, will not take you to morality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-nielsen/pure-practical-reason-even-with-a-good-knowledge-of-the-facts-will/) Kai Nielsen > [“We do not act because we know, but we know because we are destined for action; practical reason is the root of all reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-fichte/we-do-not-act-because-we-know-but-we-know-because-we-are-destined-for/) Johann Fichte > [The practical reason for freedom is that freedom seems to be the only condition under which any kind of substantial moral fiber can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/the-practical-reason-for-freedom-is-that-freedom-seems-to-be-the-only/) [Albert J. Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/) > [Death is the welcome cessation of idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-evans/death-is-the-welcome-cessation-of-idiocy/) [Stephen Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-evans/) > [Perhaps the universe is nothing but an equilibrium of idiocies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/perhaps-the-universe-is-nothing-but-an-equilibrium-of-idiocies/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) ## More by C.S. Lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-greatest-service-we-can-do-to-education-today-is-to-teach-fewer/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-husband-is-the-head-of-the-wife-just-in-so-far-as-he-is-to-her/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Idiocy quotes > [Perhaps the universe is nothing but an equilibrium of idiocies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/perhaps-the-universe-is-nothing-but-an-equilibrium-of-idiocies/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [Death is the welcome cessation of idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-evans/death-is-the-welcome-cessation-of-idiocy/) [Stephen Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-evans/) > [ “\[W\]e all incline in astonishingly personal ways to idiocy and spite” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/w-e-all-incline-in-astonishingly-personal-ways-to-idiocy-and-spite/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [I might be tweeting a lot of things in the future, some of which will be absolute idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/i-might-be-tweeting-a-lot-of-things-in-the-future-some-of-which-will/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [We are growing up. We are growing up! Out of the idiocies - the ignorances of racism and sexism and ageism and all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/we-are-growing-up-we-are-growing-up-out-of-the-idiocies-the/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [If ignorance is bliss, then more people should be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dtk-smith/if-ignorance-is-bliss-then-more-people-should-be-happy/) [David DtK Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dtk-smith/) > [One can relish the varied idiocy of human action during a panic to the full, for, while it is a time of great tragedy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/one-can-relish-the-varied-idiocy-of-human-action-during-a-panic-to/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Good energy was never meant to be waisted on idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silver-ravenwolf/good-energy-was-never-meant-to-be-waisted-on-idiocy/) Silver RavenWolf > [It is such an abundance of idiocy that you lose courage. That you lose hope. I don't want to lose hope. I get through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/it-is-such-an-abundance-of-idiocy-that-you-lose-courage-that-you-lose/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [If people buy my books for vanity, I consider it a tax on idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/if-people-buy-my-books-for-vanity-i-consider-it-a-tax-on-idiocy/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [To take a gloomy view of life is not part of my philosophy; to laugh at the idiocies of my fellow creatures is. However,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/to-take-a-gloomy-view-of-life-is-not-part-of-my-philosophy-to-laugh/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [It takes all the time and all the energy we have to conquer the idiocy in us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/it-takes-all-the-time-and-all-the-energy-we-have-to-conquer-the/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Hollywood is geared toward teenage idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/hollywood-is-geared-toward-teenage-idiocy/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [A chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/a-chasm-reminds-us-that-there-is-a-fine-line-between-bravery-and/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Everything in food works together to create health or disease. The more we think that a single chemical characterizes a whole food, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/everything-in-food-works-together-to-create-health-or-disease-the/) [T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/) [Browse all 153 Idiocy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiocy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“An open mind, in questions that are not ultimate, is useful. But an open mind about the ultimate foundations either of Theoretical or of Practical Reason is idiocy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. 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