--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modern man, brought up on Kantian…" description: "\"“Modern man, brought up on Kantian idealism, regards nature as being no more than an outcome of the laws of the mind. Losing all their independence as ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d63/etienne-gilson-21565_idealism_modern-man-brought-up-on-kantian-idealis_104945.jpg" --- # Modern man, brought up on Kantian idealism, regards nature… ![“Modern man, brought up on Kantian idealism, regards nature as being no more than an outcome of the laws of the mind. Losing all their independence as divine works, things gravitate henceforth round human thought, whence their laws are derived. What wonder, after that, is if criticism had resulted…” quote by Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d63/etienne-gilson-21565_idealism_modern-man-brought-up-on-kantian-idealis_104945.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d63/etienne-gilson-21565_idealism_modern-man-brought-up-on-kantian-idealis_104945.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d63/etienne-gilson-21565_idealism_modern-man-brought-up-on-kantian-idealis_104945.jpg) > ““Modern man, brought up on Kantian idealism, regards nature as being no more than an outcome of the laws of the mind. Losing all their independence as divine works, things gravitate henceforth round human thought, whence their laws are derived. What wonder, after that, is if criticism had resulted in the virtual disappearance of all metaphysics? \[...\] As soon as the universe is reduced to the laws of mind, man, now become creator, has no longer any means of rising above himself. Legislator of a world to which his own mind has given birth, he is henceforth the prisoner of his own work, and he will never escape from it anymore. \[...\] if my thought is the condition of being, never by thought shall I be able to transcend the limits of my being and my capacity for the infinite will never be satisfied.”” [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When reality is reduced to mental constructs, humanity becomes trapped within its own ideas, losing any transcendent purpose or divine reference. **In simple terms:** If we view everything as mind‑created, we imprison ourselves in our own thoughts. Key Takeaway Self‑generated frameworks limit freedom and meaning. Themes philosophy idealism metaphysics human agency limitations Mood thoughtful cautious introspective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - academic debates on realism - creative artists confronting self‑imposed constraints - policy makers designing laws based on ideology Key Concepts subject‑object relation ontological dependence Practical Applications - encourage reflective critique of foundational assumptions - balance rational analysis with experiential insight Questions to Reflect On - How can we recognize when our concepts become imprisoning? - What practices allow us to transcend self‑imposed limits? A Different Perspective It may overlook the capacity of human imagination to generate novel realities beyond existing mental models. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Modern man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-man/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Transcendence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcendence/) ## Related quotes > [But down through the centuries, man has developed a mind that separates him from the world of reality, the world of natural laws. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Logic is the science not of external forms of thought, but of the laws of development "of all material, natural and spiritual things", i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-ilyich-lenin/logic-is-the-science-not-of-external-forms-of-thought-but-of-the-laws/) [Vladimir Ilyich Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-ilyich-lenin/) > [ “\[Dostoyevsky\] eloquently proves that heartless ideas are often a source of immorality: they bring with them destructiveness, hatred, cynicism, and misanthropy. The novelist also… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-l-kline/dostoyevsky-eloquently-proves-that-heartless-ideas-are-often-a-source/) George L. Kline > [“Immanuel Kant" "Noch wal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-claus/immanuel-kant-noch-wal/) [Hugo Claus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-claus/) > [“Against Hume, Kant has found a more proper ground for humility: “True humility follows unavoidably from our sincere and exact comparison of ourselves with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanine-grenberg/against-hume-kant-has-found-a-more-proper-ground-for-humility-true/) Jeanine Grenberg > [I don't think Kant's theory looks bad to people except insofar as they have misunderstood it (for instance, as heartless and ironheaded, or as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/i-don-t-think-kant-s-theory-looks-bad-to-people-except-insofar-as/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [“Ik vraag me af wanneer alles verkeerd begon te lopen en of het misschien al vanaf het begin de verkeerde kant op is gegaan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-wells/ik-vraag-me-af-wanneer-alles-verkeerd-begon-te-lopen-en-of-het/) [Benedict Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-wells/) > [“Socrates could enjoy a banquet now and again, and must have derived considerable satisfaction from his conversations while the hemlock was taking effect, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/socrates-could-enjoy-a-banquet-now-and-again-and-must-have-derived/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I use music as something from which I obtain some form of - I hate to use the word spiritual - guidance, an awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meale/i-use-music-as-something-from-which-i-obtain-some-form-of-i-hate-to/) [Richard Meale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meale/) > [Kantian ethical theory distinguishes three levels: First, that of a fundamental principle (the categorical imperative, formulated in three main ways in Kant's Groundwork); second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kantian-ethical-theory-distinguishes-three-levels-first-that-of-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [“Kant also identified idle desires with wishing and active desire with willing, and he seemed to think that one of the problems of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-kuehn/kant-also-identified-idle-desires-with-wishing-and-active-desire-with/) Manfred Kuehn > [Kant, discussing the various modes of perception by which the human mind apprehends nature, concluded that it is specially prone to see nature through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-jeans/kant-discussing-the-various-modes-of-perception-by-which-the-human/) [James Jeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-jeans/) > [My own view is that Kant's conception of the duality of the good (morality and happiness, the good of our person and the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/my-own-view-is-that-kant-s-conception-of-the-duality-of-the-good/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) ## More by Étienne Gilson > [History is the only laboratory we have in which to test the consequences of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/history-is-the-only-laboratory-we-have-in-which-to-test-the/) [Etienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“The Middle Ages were long preoccupied with the nature of the concept, or of the notion which the intellect abstracts from the object; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/the-middle-ages-were-long-preoccupied-with-the-nature-of-the-concept/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [Humans feel at home in a world of things, whose essences and laws it can grasp and define in terms of concepts; but shy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/humans-feel-at-home-in-a-world-of-things-whose-essences-and-laws-it/) [Etienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [Radiance belongs to being considered precisely as beautiful: it is, in being, that which catches the eye, or the ear, or the mind, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/radiance-belongs-to-being-considered-precisely-as-beautiful-it-is-in/) [Etienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“When man subverted order he did a great deal more than merely fall away from the rationality of his nature, diminish his own humanity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/when-man-subverted-order-he-did-a-great-deal-more-than-merely-fall/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“Just as it is by His goodness that God gives being to beings, so also it is by His goodness that He makes causes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/just-as-it-is-by-his-goodness-that-god-gives-being-to-beings-so-also/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [To minds tormented by the divine thirst, it is useless to offer the most certain knowledge of the laws of numbers and the arrangement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/to-minds-tormented-by-the-divine-thirst-it-is-useless-to-offer-the/) [Etienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“As long as one makes some kind of conscious state, whether a “passive sensation” or an “apprehended”, come before reality, one will remain more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/as-long-as-one-makes-some-kind-of-conscious-state-whether-a-passive/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [Man is not a mind that thinks, but a being who knows other beings as true, who loves them as good and who enjoys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/man-is-not-a-mind-that-thinks-but-a-being-who-knows-other-beings-as/) [Etienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [If our previous analyses are correct, they all point to the same conclusion, that metaphysical adventures are doomed to fail when their authors substitute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/if-our-previous-analyses-are-correct-they-all-point-to-the-same/) [Etienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“But if one decides to start with Descartes and finish with Aristotle, and to employ an idealist method while shamelessly making use of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/but-if-one-decides-to-start-with-descartes-and-finish-with-aristotle/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“What is necessary is that epistemology, instead of being the pre-condition for ontology, should grow in it and with it, being at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/what-is-necessary-is-that-epistemology-instead-of-being-the-pre/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“Pure sensism leads inevitably to universal doubt; if reality is in the end reducible to sensible appearance, then, since this is in a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/pure-sensism-leads-inevitably-to-universal-doubt-if-reality-is-in-the/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“If pure philosophy took any of its ideas from Christian revelation, if anything in the Bible and the Gospel has passed into metaphysics, if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/if-pure-philosophy-took-any-of-its-ideas-from-christian-revelation-if/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) > [“He(E.A.Poe) cannot be blamed for not saying clearly what beauty is. The greatest philosophers in the world acknowledge in the end that the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-gilson/he-e-a-poe-cannot-be-blamed-for-not-saying-clearly-what-beauty-is-the/) [Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) [Explore all 29 Étienne Gilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etienne-gilson/) ## More Idealism quotes > [“I'm an idealist who has outgrown my idealism I have nothing to do the rest of my life but do it and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-an-idealist-who-has-outgrown-my-idealism-i-have-nothing-to-do-the/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [What the nostalgic past and the imaginary future seem to share in common is a form of idealism, perhaps a dream of wholeness. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-d-ambrosio/what-the-nostalgic-past-and-the-imaginary-future-seem-to-share-in/) [Charles D'Ambrosio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-d-ambrosio/) > [In a democracy, the one thing that cannot be done is to destroy its trust, its hope, its idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/in-a-democracy-the-one-thing-that-cannot-be-done-is-to-destroy-its/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“David Hume, in a moment of acute skepticism, felt panicky in the solitude of his study and had to go out and join his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barrett/david-hume-in-a-moment-of-acute-skepticism-felt-panicky-in-the/) [William Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barrett/) > [I see history as really cyclical in terms of the intense idealism, and the desire to create a better life outside of societal norms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-see-history-as-really-cyclical-in-terms-of-the-intense-idealism-and/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [I unconsciously decided that, even if it wasn't an ideal world, it should be. So I painted only the ideal aspects of it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-rockwell/i-unconsciously-decided-that-even-if-it-wasn-t-an-ideal-world-it/) [Norman Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-rockwell/) > [Only the broken-hearted idealist can become a cynic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clifton/only-the-broken-hearted-idealist-can-become-a-cynic/) Mark Clifton > [Without magic, there is no art. Without art, there is no idealism. Without idealism, there is no integrity. Without integrity, there is nothing but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/without-magic-there-is-no-art-without-art-there-is-no-idealism/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Women have been charged with deviousness and duplicity since the dawn of civilization so they have never been able to pretend that their masks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/women-have-been-charged-with-deviousness-and-duplicity-since-the-dawn/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-orlov/they-say-evil-prevails-when-good-men-fail-to-act-what-they-ought-to/) [Yuri Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-orlov/) > [“The biggest catch need not be grandest at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-harglesis/the-biggest-catch-need-not-be-grandest-at-all/) [Andy Harglesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-harglesis/) > [“You know, the whole thing about perfectionism. The perfectionism is very dangerous. Because of course if your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/you-know-the-whole-thing-about-perfectionism-the-perfectionism-is/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“An idealist is someone who helps other people to be prosperous”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-henry-ford/an-idealist-is-someone-who-helps-other-people-to-be-prosperous/) Ford Henry Ford > [Could beauty be beaten out, O youth the cities have sent to strike at each other's strength, it is you who have kept her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/could-beauty-be-beaten-out-o-youth-the-cities-have-sent-to-strike-at/) [Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/) [Browse all 584 Idealism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Modern man, brought up on Kantian idealism, regards nature as being no more than an outcome of the laws of the mind. 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