--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The materialist thinks me a slave because…" description: "\"“The materialist thinks me a slave because I am not allowed to believe in determinism. I think [the materialist] a slave because he is not allowed to b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/g-k-chesterton-224_determinism_the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-becaus_687131.jpg" --- # The materialist thinks me a slave because I am not allowed… ![“The materialist thinks me a slave because I am not allowed to believe in determinism. I think [the materialist] a slave because he is not allowed to believe in fairies.” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/g-k-chesterton-224_determinism_the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-becaus_687131.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/g-k-chesterton-224_determinism_the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-becaus_687131.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/g-k-chesterton-224_determinism_the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-becaus_687131.jpg) > ““The materialist thinks me a slave because I am not allowed to believe in determinism. I think \[the materialist\] a slave because he is not allowed to believe in fairies.”” [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contrasts materialism with imagination, arguing both limit belief in different ways. **In simple terms:** Materialism and imagination both restrict belief. Key Takeaway Balance rational thought with imagination. Themes philosophy imagination materialism Mood thoughtful playful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - academic debate - creative writing - personal reflection - teaching Key Concepts skepticism freedom of thought Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs do you consider 'unreasonable'? - How can imagination enrich scientific inquiry? A Different Perspective Imagination may be dismissed as irrational. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Determinism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determinism/) [Fairies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairies/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism/) [Materialist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialist/) ## Related quotes > [I think the materialist conception of history is valid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-think-the-materialist-conception-of-history-is-valid/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“The Christian admits that the universe is manifold and even miscellaneous, just as a sane man knows that he is complex. The sane man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-christian-admits-that-the-universe-is-manifold-and-even/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [The Christian is quite free to believe that there is a considerable amount of settled order and inevitable development in the universe. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-christian-is-quite-free-to-believe-that-there-is-a-considerable/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [I'm not a materialist, I don't care for things. I don't like cars, I hate things that can be exploited. I live a simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/i-m-not-a-materialist-i-don-t-care-for-things-i-don-t-like-cars-i/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [“Don't be a spiritualist and don't be a materialist: be both. Don't be a Zorba and don't be a Buddha; be both: Zorba the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/don-t-be-a-spiritualist-and-don-t-be-a-materialist-be-both-don-t-be-a/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [The classics of Marxism, while fully appreciating the significance of the Darwinian theory, pointed out the errors of which Darwin was guilty. Darwin's theory,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/the-classics-of-marxism-while-fully-appreciating-the-significance-of/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [“Thus, as far as he is a scientific man, as far as he knows anything, he is a materialist; outside his science, in spheres…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/thus-as-far-as-he-is-a-scientific-man-as-far-as-he-knows-anything-he/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [Awe is not a very comfortable standpoint for many people... Hence, all about us today, we see avoidance of awe-by burying ourselves in materialist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-j-schneider/awe-is-not-a-very-comfortable-standpoint-for-many-people-hence-all/) Kirk J. Schneider > [West is too materialist; East is too spiritual; North is too cold; South is too loose!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/west-is-too-materialist-east-is-too-spiritual-north-is-too-cold-south/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Make more money and you'll be happier, get a bigger house and you'll feel satisfied, buy fancier clothes and people will admire you -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-more-money-and-you-ll-be-happier-get-a-bigger-house-and-you-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Watching a whole cluster of friends, and my own mother, die over quite a short space of time convinced me that purely materialist 'explanations'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-n-wilson/watching-a-whole-cluster-of-friends-and-my-own-mother-die-over-quite/) [A. N. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-n-wilson/) > [“When going out of your material body, after the return, the courage becomes so great that you can tread on things that can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/when-going-out-of-your-material-body-after-the-return-the-courage/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“For the genuine materialist there is no fundamental, but only a gradual, an “evolutionary” difference, between man and a pest, a noxious insect”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-von-kuehnelt-leddihn/for-the-genuine-materialist-there-is-no-fundamental-but-only-a/) [Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-von-kuehnelt-leddihn/) > [“According to the materialist conception of history, the ultimately determining element in history is the production and reproduction of real life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/according-to-the-materialist-conception-of-history-the-ultimately/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [“Uncorked materialism is new cannibalism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/uncorked-materialism-is-new-cannibalism/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by G.K. Chesterton > [“I never use paradox. The statements I make are wearisome and obvious common sense. I have even been driven to the tedium of reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-never-use-paradox-the-statements-i-make-are-wearisome-and-obvious/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Nothing, again, could be more prosaic and impenetrable than the domestic energies of Miss Diana Duke. But Innocent had somehow blundered on the discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/nothing-again-could-be-more-prosaic-and-impenetrable-than-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“ask yourself how many people you have met who grumbled at a thing as incurable, and how many who attacked it as curable? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/ask-yourself-how-many-people-you-have-met-who-grumbled-at-a-thing-as/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-human-race-to-which-so-many-of-my-readers-belong-has-been-playing/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Internationalism is in any case hostile to democracy….The only purely popular government is local, and founded on local knowledge. The citizens can rule the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/internationalism-is-in-any-case-hostile-to-democracy-the-only-purely/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“There was a short railway official travelling up to the terminus, three fairly short market-gardeners picked up two stations afterwards, one very short widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-was-a-short-railway-official-travelling-up-to-the-terminus/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/humility-is-the-mother-of-giants-one-sees-great-things-from-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/anything-worth-doing-is-worth-doing-badly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-exists-in-such-a-case-a-certain-institution-or-law-let-us-say/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Man, by a blind instinct, knew that if once things were wildly questioned, reason could be questioned first. The authority of priests to absolve,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-by-a-blind-instinct-knew-that-if-once-things-were-wildly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-idle-to-talk-always-of-the-alternative-of-reason-and-faith/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“But in order that life should be a story or romance to us, it is necessary that a great part of it, at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/but-in-order-that-life-should-be-a-story-or-romance-to-us-it-is/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Buddhism seeks after God with the largest conception it can find, the all-producing and all-absorbing One; Christianity seeks after God with the most elementary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/buddhism-seeks-after-god-with-the-largest-conception-it-can-find-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Man is more himself, more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing and grief superficial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-is-more-himself-more-manlike-when-joy-is-the-fundamental-thing/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) [Explore all 853 G.K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## More Determinism quotes > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [We like to forget that in fact everything in our life is chance, from our genesis out of the encounter of spermatozoon and egg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-like-to-forget-that-in-fact-everything-in-our-life-is-chance-from/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Never be tired of a dream, if not fulfilled. Fear of failure should not deter you from your path of self belief. Your belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/never-be-tired-of-a-dream-if-not-fulfilled-fear-of-failure-should-not/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [... what we should be looking for is fresh ideas of how we make moral decisions about our dealings with one another, economic, social,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-mccaughey/what-we-should-be-looking-for-is-fresh-ideas-of-how-we-make-moral/) Davis McCaughey > [Ability determines how much you are capable, motivation determines how much you are interested and committed, attitude determines your approach to endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/ability-determines-how-much-you-are-capable-motivation-determines-how/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [To those of us who remained committed mainly to the exploration of moral distinctions and ambiguities, the feminist analysis may have seemed a particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-those-of-us-who-remained-committed-mainly-to-the-exploration-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“Scientific research is based on the idea that everything that takes place is determined by laws of nature, and therefore this holds for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/scientific-research-is-based-on-the-idea-that-everything-that-takes/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Your age doesnt define your maturity, your grades dont define your intellect, and rumors dont define who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajat-dogra/your-age-doesnt-define-your-maturity-your-grades-dont-define-your/) [Rajat Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajat-dogra/) > [If you encounter set back, never go backward. Make another attempt with all your might. Determination is the most powerful arsenal to convert a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/if-you-encounter-set-back-never-go-backward-make-another-attempt-with/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [The idea of determinism combined with complete human responsibility struck me as very hard to reconcile with an idea of justice, let alone mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-macleod/the-idea-of-determinism-combined-with-complete-human-responsibility/) [Ken MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-macleod/) > [Human integrity is determined by the heart, not by cleverness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/human-integrity-is-determined-by-the-heart-not-by-cleverness/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [I'll work and pray and hope and keep waiting, if that's what it takes to get to the right place, to be with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/i-ll-work-and-pray-and-hope-and-keep-waiting-if-that-s-what-it-takes/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Make passion way of day to day living. Passion is what you do with love, care and dedication. Figure out your passion, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/make-passion-way-of-day-to-day-living-passion-is-what-you-do-with/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [Actions speak louder than words. It's not the things you say that are important, it's the things you do that prove everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/actions-speak-louder-than-words-it-s-not-the-things-you-say-that-are/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [“The physical universe was a language with a perfectly ambiguous grammar. Every physical event was an utterance that could be parsed in two entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-chiang/the-physical-universe-was-a-language-with-a-perfectly-ambiguous/) [Ted Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-chiang/) [Browse all 295 Determinism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determinism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The materialist thinks me a slave because I am not allowed to believe in determinism. I think [the materialist] a slave because he is not allowed to believe in fairies.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "G.K. Chesterton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-because-i-am-not-allowed-to-believe/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Determinism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-because-i-am-not-allowed-to-believe/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/g-k-chesterton-224_determinism_the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-becaus_687131.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/g-k-chesterton-224_determinism_the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-becaus_687131.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/040/g-k-chesterton-224_determinism_the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-becaus_687131.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The materialist thinks me a slave because I am not allowed to believe in determinism. I think [the…” — G.K. Chesterton", "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": "G.K. Chesterton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The materialist thinks me a slave...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-because-i-am-not-allowed-to-believe/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-materialist-thinks-me-a-slave-because-i-am-not-allowed-to-believe/#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 } } ] } ```