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Dreams Quote by Chesterton, G.K

“The modern philosopher claims, like a sort of confident man, that if we will grant him this, the rest will be easy; he will straighten out the world, if he is allowed to give this one twist to the mind... Against all this the philosophy of St. Thomas stands founded on the universal common…” quote by Chesterton, G.K
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““The modern philosopher claims, like a sort of confident man, that if we will grant him this, the rest will be easy; he will straighten out the world, if he is allowed to give this one twist to the mind... Against all this the philosophy of St. Thomas stands founded on the universal common conviction that eggs are eggs. The Hegelian may say that an egg is really a hen, because it is a part of an endless process of Becoming; the Berkelian may hold that poached eggs only exist as a dream exists, since it is quite as easy to call the dream the cause of the eggs as the eggs the cause of the dream; the Pragmatist may believe that we get the best out of scrambled eggs by forgetting that they ever were eggs, and only remembering the scramble. But no pupil of St. Thomas needs to addle his brains in order adequately to addle his eggs; to put his head at any peculiar angle in looking at eggs, or squinting at eggs, or winking the other eye in order to see a new simplification of eggs. The Thomist stands in the broad daylight of the brotherhood of men, in their common consciousness that eggs are not hens or dreams or mere practical assumptions; but things attested by the Authority of the Senses, which is from God.””

Chesterton, G.K

About This Quote

Source Essay: The Philosophy of St. Thomas, 1905

Philosophical debates often overcomplicate simple truths, like eggs, which remain just eggs.

In simple terms: Complex theories can obscure simple facts.

Key Takeaway

Seek simplicity over overanalysis.

Themes

philosophy truth simplicity debate epistemology

Mood

thoughtful philosophical

Type

Dreams:0 Faith:1 Philosophy:1 Confident Man:0 Eggs Hegelian:0 Eggs Thomist:0 Consciousness Eggs:0 Eggs Exist:0 Philosopher Claims:0

When to use this quote

  • academic discourse
  • personal belief formation
  • teaching
  • public policy

Key Concepts

critical analysis skepticism metaphysics

Questions to Reflect On

  • What simple truths do you overlook?
  • How to balance theory with practicality?
A Different Perspective

Overanalysis may ignore practical reality.

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