Agnostics Quote by Daniel C. Dennett
““atheists and agnostics can have sacred values, values that are simply not up for re-evaluation at all. I have sacred””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing values in “Breaking the Spell”, 2006
Even non‑believers can hold immutable, sacred values that resist rational critique.
In simple terms: Agnostics can have unchangeable core values.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and respect deeply held values.
Themes
values
atheism
psychology
Mood
thoughtful
philosophical
Type
ethical
psychological
When to use this quote
- Ethical debates
- personal conviction discussions
- public policy
Key Concepts
moral psychology
cognitive rigidity
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes a value “sacred” for an atheist?
- How can dialogue respect such values?
A Different Perspective
May conflate sacredness with irrationality.
![“Those who believe in this type of thing [Paul the Octopus, who ‘predicted’ the result of World Cup matches] cannot be the leaders of the global nations that aspire, like Iran, to human perfection, basing themselves in the love of all sacred values.” quote by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f48/mahmoud-ahmadinejad-3130_aspire_those-who-believe-in-this-type-of-thing_974259.jpg)
![“I think we should stop treating ["God works in mysterious ways"] as any kind of wisdom and recognize it as the transparently defensive propaganda that it is. A positive response might be, "Oh good! I love a mystery. Let's see if we can solve this one, too. Do you have any ideas?” quote by Daniel C. Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/33a/daniel-c-dennett-17655_apologetics_i-think-we-should-stop-treating-god-work_310612.jpg)
