---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Philosophers (and probably most…"
description: "\"Philosophers (and probably most intellectuals) are more interested in pursuing what they see as the logical implications of their theories than they ar..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/dale-jamieson-4075_agents_philosophers-and-probably-most-intellect_1705715.jpg"
---

#  Philosophers (and probably most intellectuals) are more…

![“Philosophers (and probably most intellectuals) are more interested in pursuing what they see as the logical implications of their theories than they are in paying attention to the shlumpy diversity of defensible values that people actually have, and then trying to figure out how these might be…” quote by Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/dale-jamieson-4075_agents_philosophers-and-probably-most-intellect_1705715.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/dale-jamieson-4075_agents_philosophers-and-probably-most-intellect_1705715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/dale-jamieson-4075_agents_philosophers-and-probably-most-intellect_1705715.jpg)

> “Philosophers (and probably most intellectuals) are more interested in pursuing what they see as the logical implications of their theories than they are in paying attention to the shlumpy diversity of defensible values that people actually have, and then trying to figure out how these might be negotiated in the life of an agent or community.”

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Intellectuals often prioritize logical analysis over the messy reality of diverse human values, limiting practical relevance.

**In simple terms:** Focus on theory can ignore real world values.

Key Takeaway

Balance logical rigor with empathy for varied values.

Themes

ethics diversity communication

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- policy design
- community mediation
- education curriculum
- organizational culture

Key Concepts

philosophy social science negotiation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you incorporate diverse values into analysis?
- What trade‑offs arise when theory meets lived experience?

A Different Perspective

Pure logic may oversimplify complex human contexts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Agents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agents/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Diversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversity/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Implications](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implications/) [Intellectuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectuals/) [Intellectuals Interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectuals-interested-1194394/) [Logical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers/) [Philosophers Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers-probably-1194395/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Probably Intellectuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-intellectuals-1194396/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/)

## Related quotes

> [Two half philosophers will probably never a whole metaphysician make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/two-half-philosophers-will-probably-never-a-whole-metaphysician-make/)

[Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/)

> [what I think separates me from most philosophers probably is that I'm a bluesman in the life of the mind, I'm a jazzman in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-i-think-separates-me-from-most-philosophers-probably-is-that-i-m/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [What we owe future generations is the subject of growing debate by economists, philosophers, ethicists, public policymakers, and academics of all stripes. But for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonor-varela/what-we-owe-future-generations-is-the-subject-of-growing-debate-by/)

[Leonor Varela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonor-varela/)

> [Sometimes I say philosophers should be at the table because they're the only people who know that they're not going to walk away with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/sometimes-i-say-philosophers-should-be-at-the-table-because-they-re/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [Philosophers are smart, analytical, and skeptical. For these reasons they are relatively unbiased.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/philosophers-are-smart-analytical-and-skeptical-for-these-reasons/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [Social is a better way to interact with digital world. It is better than search. Implications for... everything. Total change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-milner/social-is-a-better-way-to-interact-with-digital-world-it-is-better/)

[Yuri Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-milner/)

> [Public discourse has been polluted now for decades by corporate-funded disinformation - not just with climate change but with a host of health, environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-mann/public-discourse-has-been-polluted-now-for-decades-by-corporate/)

[Michael E. Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-mann/)

> [I'm, like, the most terrible person to go to a party with in the world, because I just can't enjoy it. I'm just thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/i-m-like-the-most-terrible-person-to-go-to-a-party-with-in-the-world/)

[Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/)

> [It is unnecessary to understand electromagnetic theory before wiring a lamp or to study physics in order to repair a pump. We count on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-newman/it-is-unnecessary-to-understand-electromagnetic-theory-before-wiring/)

[James R Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-newman/)

> [Among the most compelling truths in some of the early photographs is their implication of silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-adams/among-the-most-compelling-truths-in-some-of-the-early-photographs-is/)

[Robert Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-adams/)

> [Once I'd worked out that I couldn't possibly expect people to enjoy a monstrous, 3000-page book, I realised I could in fact create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/once-i-d-worked-out-that-i-couldn-t-possibly-expect-people-to-enjoy-a/)

[Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/)

> [One can hardly appreciate how academia has perverted its highest tasks and "ideals" without pondering long and hard the implications of Jacques Barzun's House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/one-can-hardly-appreciate-how-academia-has-perverted-its-highest/)

[Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/)

> [Science is and should be seen as "completely neutral" on the issue of the theistic or atheistic implications of scientific results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/science-is-and-should-be-seen-as-completely-neutral-on-the-issue-of/)

[George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/)

> [The full implications of feminism will evolve over time, as we organize, experiment, think, analyze, and revise our ideas and strategies in light of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bunch/the-full-implications-of-feminism-will-evolve-over-time-as-we/)

[Charlotte Bunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bunch/)

> [I soon realized that a student of English literature who does not know the Bible does not understand a good deal of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/i-soon-realized-that-a-student-of-english-literature-who-does-not/)

[Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/)

## More by Dale Jamieson

> [People with long memories and a vivid sense of the past have an immediate understanding of politicians like Donald Trump. They are not surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/people-with-long-memories-and-a-vivid-sense-of-the-past-have-an/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [On my reading of history people who want to bring us the best are usually the people we ought to be afraid of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/on-my-reading-of-history-people-who-want-to-bring-us-the-best-are/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [We know the "great men" and a handful of heavily cited papers in our specialization. When there is a historical frame around a paper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/we-know-the-great-men-and-a-handful-of-heavily-cited-papers-in-our/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [The very essence of civilized culture is that we deliberately institute, in advance of the happening of various contingencies and emergencies of life, devices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/the-very-essence-of-civilized-culture-is-that-we-deliberately/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [I see a lot of individual action when it comes to environmental questions really as a form of politics as a way of communicating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/i-see-a-lot-of-individual-action-when-it-comes-to-environmental/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [Moral revolutions are typically seen retrospectively. Prospectively, the revolutionaries tend to look like crazy people, and sometimes they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/moral-revolutions-are-typically-seen-retrospectively-prospectively/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [In this era of globalization we are witnessing struggles within individual states about what their identity and interests consist in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/in-this-era-of-globalization-we-are-witnessing-struggles-within/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [You can't imagine anything like nature as we know it without predators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/you-can-t-imagine-anything-like-nature-as-we-know-it-without-predators/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [Climate change involves fundamental choices about how we want to live and what kind of world we want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/climate-change-involves-fundamental-choices-about-how-we-want-to-live/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [Acts are right in virtue of the goodness of their consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/acts-are-right-in-virtue-of-the-goodness-of-their-consequences/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [Our traditional systems of decision-making are just not up to preventing changes in fundamental earth systems that are driven by a constant barrage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/our-traditional-systems-of-decision-making-are-just-not-up-to/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [One of the real dangers of our time is people's indifference to history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/one-of-the-real-dangers-of-our-time-is-people-s-indifference-to/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [We're not good at noticing slow, steady changes in our environments, our senses are not very acute compared to those of many animals, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/we-re-not-good-at-noticing-slow-steady-changes-in-our-environments/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [Philosophers are smart, analytical, and skeptical. For these reasons they are relatively unbiased.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/philosophers-are-smart-analytical-and-skeptical-for-these-reasons/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [The millennium development goals are important, both morally and economically, because much of the world's population maybe is as much as a third of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/the-millennium-development-goals-are-important-both-morally-and/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

[Explore all 116 Dale Jamieson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

## More Agents quotes

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [Our attitude towards evil must be freed from hatred, and has itself need to be enlightened in character...Satan rejoices when he succeeds in inspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/our-attitude-towards-evil-must-be-freed-from-hatred-and-has-itself/)

[Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/)

> [We are coming to a place where the road ends. From here on out, we will be making the road as we walk it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-atlee/we-are-coming-to-a-place-where-the-road-ends-from-here-on-out-we-will/)

[Tom Atlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-atlee/)

> [Love is the supreme form of communication. In the hierarchy of needs, love stands as the supreme developing agent of the humanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/love-is-the-supreme-form-of-communication-in-the-hierarchy-of-needs/)

[Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/)

> [I have always believed that women are not victims, we are agents of change, we are drivers of progress, we are makers of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-always-believed-that-women-are-not-victims-we-are-agents-of/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [Many American TV actors employ agents, managers, business managers, publicists and stylists, and are now adding digital media manager to the list. Their job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-bellman/many-american-tv-actors-employ-agents-managers-business-managers/)

[Gina Bellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-bellman/)

> [The ultimate goal of radical politics is gradually to displace the limit of social exclusions, empowering the excluded agents (sexual and ethnic minorities) by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/the-ultimate-goal-of-radical-politics-is-gradually-to-displace-the/)

[Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/)

> [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [My first job was a film called 'Storm Damage' for the BBC. I was 16 and working with really respected British actors. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-madekwe/my-first-job-was-a-film-called-storm-damage-for-the-bbc-i-was-16-and/)

[Ashley Madekwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-madekwe/)

> [Government is the agent of those who are too refined to do their own mugging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/government-is-the-agent-of-those-who-are-too-refined-to-do-their-own/)

[Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/)

> [While much of modern behavioral and social science treats individuals as autonomous agents, it is absolutely clear that the way we think and act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-r-nelson/while-much-of-modern-behavioral-and-social-science-treats-individuals/)

[Richard R. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-r-nelson/)

> [People went out there and they wrote articles and went on television shows saying that I am an operative that the CIA who used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/people-went-out-there-and-they-wrote-articles-and-went-on-television/)

[Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/)

> [The chief beneficiary of life insurance policies for young, single people is the life insurance agent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/the-chief-beneficiary-of-life-insurance-policies-for-young-single/)

[Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/)

> [“Honestly,” he says, “I judge writers on how they write queries. If you’re a good writer, you’re a good writer.” And if not, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-gessen/honestly-he-says-i-judge-writers-on-how-they-write-queries-if-you-re/)

[Keith Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-gessen/)

[Browse all 1,567 Agents quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agents/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Philosophers (and probably most intellectuals) are more interested in pursuing what they see as the logical implications of their theories than they are in paying attention to the shlumpy diversity of defensible values that people actually have, and then trying to figure out how these might be negotiated in the life of an agent or community.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dale Jamieson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/philosophers-and-probably-most-intellectuals-are-more-interested-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Agents"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/philosophers-and-probably-most-intellectuals-are-more-interested-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/dale-jamieson-4075_agents_philosophers-and-probably-most-intellect_1705715.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/dale-jamieson-4075_agents_philosophers-and-probably-most-intellect_1705715.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/dale-jamieson-4075_agents_philosophers-and-probably-most-intellect_1705715.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Philosophers (and probably most intellectuals) are more interested in pursuing what they see as the logical…” — Dale Jamieson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Dale Jamieson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Philosophers (and probably most intellectuals) are...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/philosophers-and-probably-most-intellectuals-are-more-interested-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/philosophers-and-probably-most-intellectuals-are-more-interested-in/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
