--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let us enquire. Who, then, shall…" description: "\"Let us enquire. Who, then, shall challenge the words? Why are they challenged. And by whom? By those who call themselves the guardians of morality, and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/frances-wright-9487_aspire_let-us-enquire-who-then-shall-challenge_734309.jpg" --- # Let us enquire. Who, then, shall challenge the words? Why… ![“Let us enquire. Who, then, shall challenge the words? Why are they challenged. And by whom? By those who call themselves the guardians of morality, and who are the constituted guardians of religion. Enquiry, it seems, suits not them. They have drawn the line, beyond which human reason shall not…” quote by Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/frances-wright-9487_aspire_let-us-enquire-who-then-shall-challenge_734309.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/frances-wright-9487_aspire_let-us-enquire-who-then-shall-challenge_734309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/frances-wright-9487_aspire_let-us-enquire-who-then-shall-challenge_734309.jpg) > “Let us enquire. Who, then, shall challenge the words? Why are they challenged. And by whom? By those who call themselves the guardians of morality, and who are the constituted guardians of religion. Enquiry, it seems, suits not them. They have drawn the line, beyond which human reason shall not pass -- above which human virtue shall not aspire! All that is without their faith or above their rule, is immorality, is atheism, is -- I know not what.” [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning authority reveals that moral guardians often limit reason and virtue, labeling anything beyond their scope as immoral. **In simple terms:** Authority can restrict free thought. Key Takeaway Challenge imposed moral boundaries. Themes authority reason morality Mood skeptical provocative Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - academic debate - political activism - personal belief formation Key Concepts critical thinking philosophical inquiry Questions to Reflect On - Who defines morality for you? - When should you accept versus reject authority? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on questioning can lead to nihilism or endless doubt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Guardian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guardian/) [Human reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-reason/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Immorality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immorality/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [ The fundamental religious objection to the theory of evolution is not scientific but moral. \[Fundamentalists believe that\] evolutionary theory must be opposed because it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-s-anderson/the-fundamental-religious-objection-to-the-theory-of-evolution-is-not/) Elizabeth S. Anderson > [Women are the guardians of morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-14th-prince-of-ligne/women-are-the-guardians-of-morality/) [Michel, 14th Prince of Ligne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-14th-prince-of-ligne/) > [“We must always remember that our cultural figures are not the guardians of our morality. We must guard that for ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaa-alghamdi/we-must-always-remember-that-our-cultural-figures-are-not-the/) [Alaa Alghamdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaa-alghamdi/) > [... your spiritual teachers caution you against enquiry--tell you not to read certain books; not to listen to certain people; to beware of profane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/your-spiritual-teachers-caution-you-against-enquiry-tell-you-not-to/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [the leading error of the human mind, - the bane of human happiness - the perverter of human virtue ... is Religion - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/the-leading-error-of-the-human-mind-the-bane-of-human-happiness-the/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [After all, what else is scientific enquiry of any sort other than a controlled version of banging one's head against the universe until something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-holt/after-all-what-else-is-scientific-enquiry-of-any-sort-other-than-a/) [Tom Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-holt/) > [Funnily enough we have never had one enquiry for Paul Scholes. You know why? Because they all know he will never leave. in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ferguson/funnily-enough-we-have-never-had-one-enquiry-for-paul-scholes-you/) [Alex Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ferguson/) > [In other words, the propositions of philosophy are not factual, but linguistic in character - that is, they do not describe the behaviour of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-ayer/in-other-words-the-propositions-of-philosophy-are-not-factual-but/) [A.J. Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-ayer/) > [There is something myopic and stunted in focussing only on the meaning of words and sentences. And this myopia is especially unfortunate when combined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-cooper/there-is-something-myopic-and-stunted-in-focussing-only-on-the/) [David E. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-cooper/) > [The mention of one apartment in a building naturally introduces an enquiry or discourse concerning the others: and if we think ofa wound, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-mention-of-one-apartment-in-a-building-naturally-introduces-an/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Had you or I been born at the Bay of Soldania, possibly our Thoughts, and Notions, had not exceeded those brutish ones of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/had-you-or-i-been-born-at-the-bay-of-soldania-possibly-our-thoughts/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [If you walk along the street you will encounter a number of scientific problems. Of these, about 80 per cent are insoluble, while 19½…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-bondi/if-you-walk-along-the-street-you-will-encounter-a-number-of/) [Hermann Bondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-bondi/) > [I rejoice in a belief that intellectual light will spring up in the dark corners of the earth; that freedom of enquiry will produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/i-rejoice-in-a-belief-that-intellectual-light-will-spring-up-in-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Science is wonderful at destroying metaphysical answers, but incapable of providing substitute ones. Science takes away foundations without providing a replacement. Whether we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-putnam/science-is-wonderful-at-destroying-metaphysical-answers-but-incapable/) [Hilary Putnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-putnam/) > [I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me, and my enquiry is as to their working, and my problem is their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/i-hold-a-beast-an-angel-and-a-madman-in-me-and-my-enquiry-is-as-to/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) ## More by Frances Wright > [... the happiness of a people is the only rational object of government, and the only object for which a people, free to choose,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/the-happiness-of-a-people-is-the-only-rational-object-of-government/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [I am neither Jew nor Gentile, Mahomedan nor Theist; I am but a member of the human family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/i-am-neither-jew-nor-gentile-mahomedan-nor-theist-i-am-but-a-member/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [... so far from entrenching human conduct within the gentle barriers of peace and love, religion has ever been, and now is, the deepest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/so-far-from-entrenching-human-conduct-within-the-gentle-barriers-of/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [If they exert it not for good, they will for evil; if they advance not knowledge, they will perpetuate ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/if-they-exert-it-not-for-good-they-will-for-evil-if-they-advance-not/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [Moral truth, resting entirely upon the ascertained consequences of actions, supposes a process of observation and reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/moral-truth-resting-entirely-upon-the-ascertained-consequences-of/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [It is in vain that we would circumscribe the power of one half of our race, and that half by far the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/it-is-in-vain-that-we-would-circumscribe-the-power-of-one-half-of-our/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [However novel it may appear, I shall venture the assertion, that, until women assume the place in society which good sense and good feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/however-novel-it-may-appear-i-shall-venture-the-assertion-that-until/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [You have heard of, and studied various systems of philosophy; but real philosophy is opposed to all systems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/you-have-heard-of-and-studied-various-systems-of-philosophy-but-real/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [Credulity is always a ridiculous, often a dangerous failing: it has made of many a clever man, a fool; and of many a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/credulity-is-always-a-ridiculous-often-a-dangerous-failing-it-has/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [Instead of establishing facts, we have to overthrow errors; instead of ascertaining what is, we have to chase from our imaginations what is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/instead-of-establishing-facts-we-have-to-overthrow-errors-instead-of/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [... we have broken down the self-respecting spirit of man with nursery tales and priestly threats, and we dare to assert, that inproportion as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/we-have-broken-down-the-self-respecting-spirit-of-man-with-nursery/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [it is not that religion is merely useless, it is mischievous. It is mischievous by its idle terrors; it is mischievous by its false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/it-is-not-that-religion-is-merely-useless-it-is-mischievous-it-is/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [Equality! Where is it, if not in education? Equal rights! They cannot exist without equality of instruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/equality-where-is-it-if-not-in-education-equal-rights-they-cannot/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [The best road to correct reasoning is by physical science; the way to trace effects to causes is through physical science; the only corrective,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/the-best-road-to-correct-reasoning-is-by-physical-science-the-way-to/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [He who lives in the single exercise of his mental faculties, however usefully or curiously directed, is equally an imperfect animal with the man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/he-who-lives-in-the-single-exercise-of-his-mental-faculties-however/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) [Explore all 72 Frances Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) ## More Aspire quotes > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [At the end of the day, everyone knows what it is to be loved and to aspire to love someone, to want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/at-the-end-of-the-day-everyone-knows-what-it-is-to-be-loved-and-to/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [We should all aspire in life to do a multitude of things well - to be a great father, to be a good husband,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-modine/we-should-all-aspire-in-life-to-do-a-multitude-of-things-well-to-be-a/) [Matthew Modine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-modine/) > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I aspire my country eventually has a league where all players play 50 games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-chhetri/i-aspire-my-country-eventually-has-a-league-where-all-players-play-50/) [Sunil Chhetri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-chhetri/) > [I'm exceptional in everything that I do and I aspire to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omarosa-manigault-newman/i-m-exceptional-in-everything-that-i-do-and-i-aspire-to-do/) [Omarosa Manigault Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omarosa-manigault-newman/) > [One of the reasons you study at great institutions or aspire to work in great corporations is that you hope to acquire the values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsha-bhogle/one-of-the-reasons-you-study-at-great-institutions-or-aspire-to-work/) [Harsha Bhogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsha-bhogle/) > [So if you aspire to be a good conversationali st, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/so-if-you-aspire-to-be-a-good-conversationali-st-be-an-attentive/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [... the majority of colored men do not yet think it worth while that women aspire to higher education… The three R's, a littlemusic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-julia-cooper/the-majority-of-colored-men-do-not-yet-think-it-worth-while-that/) [Anna Julia Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-julia-cooper/) > [For me, there has always been a disconnect with the sort of elitist structure of the high-art world - and my distaste for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shepard-fairey/for-me-there-has-always-been-a-disconnect-with-the-sort-of-elitist/) [Shepard Fairey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shepard-fairey/) > [There is not a right too long denied to which we do not aspire in order to achieve; there is not a wrong too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/there-is-not-a-right-too-long-denied-to-which-we-do-not-aspire-in/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) Browse all 650 Aspire quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let us enquire. 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