---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If one starts with an impersonal…"
description: "\"If one starts with an impersonal beginning, the answer to morals eventually turns out to be the assertion that there are no morals.\" — Francis Schaeffer"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/francis-schaeffer-2607_answers_if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginni_636536.jpg"
---

#  If one starts with an impersonal beginning, the answer to…

![“If one starts with an impersonal beginning, the answer to morals eventually turns out to be the assertion that there are no morals.” quote by Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/francis-schaeffer-2607_answers_if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginni_636536.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/francis-schaeffer-2607_answers_if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginni_636536.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/francis-schaeffer-2607_answers_if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginni_636536.jpg)

> “If one starts with an impersonal beginning, the answer to morals eventually turns out to be the assertion that there are no morals.”

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

## About This Quote

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

Starting from a neutral stance leads to moral relativism, denying absolute morals.

**In simple terms:** Neutral start leads to no morals.

Key Takeaway

Question assumptions about moral objectivity.

Themes

ethics philosophy relativism

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

philosophical inquisitive

When to use this quote

- debates on morality
- academic lectures
- personal decision-making

Key Concepts

moral foundations objectivity existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines moral truth?
- Can morality be both personal and universal?

A Different Perspective

Absolute morals may be culturally contingent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Answer Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-morals-5119912/) [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Assertion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assertion/) [Assertion Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assertion-morals-5119911/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Impersonal Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impersonal-beginning-5119910/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals/) [Morals Eventually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals-eventually-5119909/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/)

## Related quotes

> [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [There needs to be a public dawning - and it is beginning to dawn on some members of the public - that how science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-d-holt-jr/there-needs-to-be-a-public-dawning-and-it-is-beginning-to-dawn-on/)

[Rush D. Holt, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-d-holt-jr/)

> [What I need to write is a complicated equation. Maybe if I knew I'd be one of those writers, one of the steady ones.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/what-i-need-to-write-is-a-complicated-equation-maybe-if-i-knew-i-d-be/)

[Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/)

> [But innovation is more than a new method. It is a new view of the universe, as one of risk rather than of chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/but-innovation-is-more-than-a-new-method-it-is-a-new-view-of-the/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

> [The Japanese see self-assertion as immoral and self- sacrifice as the sensible course to take in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/the-japanese-see-self-assertion-as-immoral-and-self-sacrifice-as-the/)

[Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/)

> [There is in St. Paul's definite, soul-stirring assertion of the wrath of God and the reality of the judgment at hand, a truth more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-allen/there-is-in-st-paul-s-definite-soul-stirring-assertion-of-the-wrath/)

[Roland Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-allen/)

> [“Within certain limits terminology is always arbitrary. But the definition of being-true as unveiling, making manifest, is not an arbitrary, private invention of mine;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/within-certain-limits-terminology-is-always-arbitrary-but-the/)

[Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/)

> [Upon the profound discontent of the young in every country do I set my faith. I beg you, the young, to be discontented. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/upon-the-profound-discontent-of-the-young-in-every-country-do-i-set/)

[Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/)

> [Those who know that the consensus of many centuries has sanctioned the conception that the earth remains at rest in the middle of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolaus-copernicus/those-who-know-that-the-consensus-of-many-centuries-has-sanctioned/)

[Nicolaus Copernicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolaus-copernicus/)

> [What causes adolescents to rebel is not the assertion of authority but the arbitrary use of power, with little explanation of the rules and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-steinberg/what-causes-adolescents-to-rebel-is-not-the-assertion-of-authority/)

[Laurence Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-steinberg/)

> [“Knowledge as a past fact, as something dead and done with—knowledge by the time it gets into encyclopaedias and text-books—does consist of assertion, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-g-collingwood/knowledge-as-a-past-fact-as-something-dead-and-done-with-knowledge-by/)

[R. G. Collingwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-g-collingwood/)

> [When on a Sunday morning we hear the old bells ring out, we ask ourselves, "Is it possible! This is done on account of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/when-on-a-sunday-morning-we-hear-the-old-bells-ring-out-we-ask/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [At length weariness succeeds to labor, and the mind lies at ease in the contemplation of her own attainments without any desire of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/at-length-weariness-succeeds-to-labor-and-the-mind-lies-at-ease-in/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [Metaphysical assertions, however, are statements of the psyche, and are therefore psychological. Whenever the Westerner hears the word “psychological,” it always sounds to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/metaphysical-assertions-however-are-statements-of-the-psyche-and-are/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [So long as Muslims continue looking towards Western civilization as the only force that could regenerate their own stagnant society, they destroy their self-confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-asad/so-long-as-muslims-continue-looking-towards-western-civilization-as/)

[Muhammad Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-asad/)

## More by Francis Schaeffer

> [Jesus taught that the mark of the Christian is the observable love shown among all true believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/jesus-taught-that-the-mark-of-the-christian-is-the-observable-love/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [As evangelical Christians we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [Belief does not change what is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/belief-does-not-change-what-is/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [The overall way of thinking in the United States has shifted away from basic Biblical values, and the media share in the responsibility for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-overall-way-of-thinking-in-the-united-states-has-shifted-away/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [In God's world the individual counts. Therefore, Christian art should deal with the individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-god-s-world-the-individual-counts-therefore-christian-art-should/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [As evangelical Christians, we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very-2/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [In the 20th century, evangelical Christians in America have naively accepted the role assigned to us by an anti-religious, anti-Christian consensus in our society.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-the-20th-century-evangelical-christians-in-america-have-naively/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [Humanism is not wrong in its cry for sociological healing, but humanism is not producing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/humanism-is-not-wrong-in-its-cry-for-sociological-healing-but/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [To die is to be with the Lord. It is not just an idea, it is a reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/to-die-is-to-be-with-the-lord-it-is-not-just-an-idea-it-is-a-reality/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [The purpose of apologetics is not just to win an argument or a discussion, but that people with whom we are in contact may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-purpose-of-apologetics-is-not-just-to-win-an-argument-or-a/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [If the church is what it should be, young people will be there. But they will not just 'be there' - they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-the-church-is-what-it-should-be-young-people-will-be-there-but/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [With the Fall all became abnormal. It is not just that the individual is separated from God by his true moral guilt, but each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/with-the-fall-all-became-abnormal-it-is-not-just-that-the-individual/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [There is nothing more ugly than an orthodoxy without understanding or compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/there-is-nothing-more-ugly-than-an-orthodoxy-without-understanding-or/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [This is not an age in which to be a soft Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/this-is-not-an-age-in-which-to-be-a-soft-christian/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [The great distinction of a true Christian is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. How careful should he be, lest anything in his thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-great-distinction-of-a-true-christian-is-the-indwelling-of-the/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

[Explore all 158 Francis Schaeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

## More Answers quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/)

[Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/)

> [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

[Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If one starts with an impersonal beginning, the answer to morals eventually turns out to be the assertion that there are no morals.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Francis Schaeffer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginning-the-answer-to-morals/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Answers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginning-the-answer-to-morals/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/francis-schaeffer-2607_answers_if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginni_636536.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/francis-schaeffer-2607_answers_if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginni_636536.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/francis-schaeffer-2607_answers_if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginni_636536.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If one starts with an impersonal beginning, the answer to morals eventually turns out to be the assertion…” — Francis Schaeffer",
                "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": "Francis Schaeffer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If one starts with an impersonal...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginning-the-answer-to-morals/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-one-starts-with-an-impersonal-beginning-the-answer-to-morals/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
