--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even the sober desire for progress is…" description: "\"Even the sober desire for progress is sustained by faith—faith in the intrinsic goodness of human nature and in the omnipotence of science. It is a def..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/eric-hoffer-343_cities_even-the-sober-desire-for-progress-is-su_1616359.jpg" --- # Even the sober desire for progress is sustained by… ![“Even the sober desire for progress is sustained by faith—faith in the intrinsic goodness of human nature and in the omnipotence of science. It is a defiant and blasphemous faith, not unlike that held by the men who set out to build a "city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven" and who…” quote by Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/eric-hoffer-343_cities_even-the-sober-desire-for-progress-is-su_1616359.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/eric-hoffer-343_cities_even-the-sober-desire-for-progress-is-su_1616359.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/eric-hoffer-343_cities_even-the-sober-desire-for-progress-is-su_1616359.jpg) > “Even the sober desire for progress is sustained by faith—faith in the intrinsic goodness of human nature and in the omnipotence of science. It is a defiant and blasphemous faith, not unlike that held by the men who set out to build a "city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven" and who believed that "nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Faith in humanity and science drives progress, even when it seems defiant or blasphemous. **In simple terms:** Faith in people and science fuels progress. Key Takeaway Believe in human potential and scientific power. Themes progress faith humanism science defiance Mood hopeful determined critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - social reform - technological innovation - education reform - policy making - community building Key Concepts optimism human nature scientific determinism Questions to Reflect On - How does faith in science shape your actions? - What limits exist when faith overrides evidence? A Different Perspective Faith alone cannot guarantee ethical outcomes without critical oversight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-faith/) [Faith Intrinsic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-intrinsic-504621/) [Faith Unlike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-unlike-3549427/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Omnipotence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omnipotence/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Progressivism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progressivism/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sober/) [Sustained Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sustained-faith-488250/) [Towers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/towers/) ## Related quotes > [Given that religious faith is an intrinsic element of human experience, it is best to approach and engage the subject with a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/given-that-religious-faith-is-an-intrinsic-element-of-human/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“Faith is intrinsic to humanity and the freedom to practice one's religion is a right no power can deny”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aysha-taryam/faith-is-intrinsic-to-humanity-and-the-freedom-to-practice-one-s/) [Aysha Taryam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aysha-taryam/) > [All effort is in the last analysis sustained by faith that it is worth making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ordway-tweed/all-effort-is-in-the-last-analysis-sustained-by-faith-that-it-is/) [Ordway Tweed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ordway-tweed/) > [“Faith, is unlike belief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-mcguire/faith-is-unlike-belief/) [Cody McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-mcguire/) > [“...there was still the thrill of those opening credits that carried us through the harder times, that sustained our faith in a city that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/there-was-still-the-thrill-of-those-opening-credits-that-carried-us/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [My faith in the expertise of physicists like Richard Feynman, for instance, permits me to endorse—and, if it comes to it, bet heavily on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-faith-in-the-expertise-of-physicists-like-richard-feynman-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To lose one's life is but to lose the present; and, clearly, to lose a defiled, worthless present is not to lose much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/to-lose-one-s-life-is-but-to-lose-the-present-and-clearly-to-lose-a/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“FDR is the canonized hero of American progressivism. 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Railroads and telegraphs and kerosene and coal stoves -- they're good to have but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/these-times-are-too-progressive-everything-has-changed-too-fast/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [If we fail to meet our problems here, no one else in the world will do so. If we fail, the heart goes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-fail-to-meet-our-problems-here-no-one-else-in-the-world-will-do/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Democrats believed in "progressivism." They believed in Big Government. But they at least attached optimistic outcomes to it. They really believed they were helping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/democrats-believed-in-progressivism-they-believed-in-big-government/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Too often in the post-9/11 world, when the time has come to translate the moral, and essentially progressive, roots of foreign policy idealism into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-just/too-often-in-the-post-9-11-world-when-the-time-has-come-to-translate/) [Richard Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-just/) > [Louisville is a place with no labels. It’s not the South, it’s not Chicago, and you don’t think of it as you think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/louisville-is-a-place-with-no-labels-it-s-not-the-south-it-s-not/) [Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/) > [“Socialists and Progressives confuse compassion and compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-samaan/socialists-and-progressives-confuse-compassion-and-compulsion/) [A.E. Samaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-samaan/) ## More by Eric Hoffer > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. 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Compassion alone stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-the-alchemy-of-man-s-soul-almost-all-noble-attributes-courage/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The act of self-denial seems to confer on us the right to be harsh and merciless toward others. The impression somehow prevails that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-act-of-self-denial-seems-to-confer-on-us-the-right-to-be-harsh/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A nation without dregs and malcontents, is orderly, decent, peaceful and pleasant, but perhaps without the seed of things to come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-nation-without-dregs-and-malcontents-is-orderly-decent-peaceful-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/compassion-alone-stands-apart-from-the-continuous-traffic-between/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-are-many-who-find-a-good-alibi-far-more-attractive-than-an/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A war is not won if the defeated enemy has not been turned into a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-war-is-not-won-if-the-defeated-enemy-has-not-been-turned-into-a/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Man is the only creature that strives to surpass himself, and yearns for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/man-is-the-only-creature-that-strives-to-surpass-himself-and-yearns/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [This food-and-shelter theory concerning man's efforts is without insight. The desire for praise is more imperative than the desire for food and shelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/this-food-and-shelter-theory-concerning-man-s-efforts-is-without/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Explore all 658 Eric Hoffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## More Cities quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. 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Revolutionaries seized power in the cities of Munich, Hanover and Cologne. One regional German government after another was toppled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cross-giblin/all-germany-was-in-turmoil-revolutionaries-seized-power-in-the-cities/) [James Cross Giblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cross-giblin/) > [Nice is a city of ghosts and specters, but I hope not to become one of them right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-modiano/nice-is-a-city-of-ghosts-and-specters-but-i-hope-not-to-become-one-of/) [Patrick Modiano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-modiano/) > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... 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I knew -- the moon's picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-too-tired-to-think-i-merely-felt-the-town-as-a-unique-unreality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 7,153 Cities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Even the sober desire for progress is sustained by faith—faith in the intrinsic goodness of human nature and in the omnipotence of science. 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