Philosophy Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““There should be philosophy and knowledge for the elect, religion and sentimentality for the masses””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Elite and the Masses”, 2005
Knowledge and philosophy are suited for the educated few, while religion and sentiment appeal to the broader public.
In simple terms: Intellectual ideas target elites; simple beliefs reach many.
Key Takeaway
Tailor communication to audience capacity.
Themes
elitism
democracy
education
religion
culture
Mood
critical
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
political
social
When to use this quote
- academic lecture
- public policy debate
- media commentary
Key Concepts
epistemology
mass communication
social stratification
Questions to Reflect On
- How can complex ideas be made accessible without dumbing down?
- Is it fair to segregate knowledge by class?
A Different Perspective
Oversimplifying audiences can underestimate their capacity for complex thought.
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![“[Religion] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we would not know an evil, wicked act from a decent human act without divine permission, without divine authority or without, even worse, either the fear of a…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab6/christopher-hitchens-117_action_religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integ_23299.jpg)
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
