---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most philosophers do not want…"
description: "\"“Most philosophers do not want intellectual matters to reduce to a question of morality (obedience or rebellion to God's Word). They want to hold the i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/greg-l-bahnsen-19294_character_most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectu_89414.jpg"
---

#  Most philosophers do not want intellectual matters to…

![“Most philosophers do not want intellectual matters to reduce to a question of morality (obedience or rebellion to God's Word). They want to hold the intellect or reason to be above matters of moral volition. They hold that truth is obtainable and testable no matter what ethical condition the…” quote by Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/greg-l-bahnsen-19294_character_most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectu_89414.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/greg-l-bahnsen-19294_character_most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectu_89414.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/greg-l-bahnsen-19294_character_most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectu_89414.jpg)

> ““Most philosophers do not want intellectual matters to reduce to a question of morality (obedience or rebellion to God's Word). They want to hold the intellect or reason to be above matters of moral volition. They hold that truth is obtainable and testable no matter what ethical condition the thinker is in. Hence, they maintain that all disputes must be rationally resolvable, and a rational case for a philosophic position relies on a valid chain of discursive argumentation that takes us back to incontestable first principles or facts.””

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

## About This Quote

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

Philosophers often claim that reason alone can resolve disputes, insisting on arguments that trace back to undeniable premises, separate from moral bias.

**In simple terms:** Reason seeks objective foundations.

Key Takeaway

Rational argument rests on immutable facts.

Themes

philosophy reason morality argumentation foundations

Mood

analytical serious inquisitive

Type

expository theoretical

When to use this quote

- academic debates
- ethical dilemmas
- theological discussions

Key Concepts

logic epistemology

Practical Applications

- teach critical thinking
- clarify premises

Questions to Reflect On

- Can any argument be truly value‑free?
- How do cultural biases affect 'incontestable' facts?

A Different Perspective

Moral contexts inevitably shape what is considered a 'first principle.'

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [First Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-principles/) [Philosophers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/)

## Related quotes

> [“Love can provide strength when intellect can find no reason for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-waterwyk/love-can-provide-strength-when-intellect-can-find-no-reason-for-it/)

[Susan Waterwyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-waterwyk/)

> [A sort of war of revenge on the intellect is what, for some reason, thrives in the contemporary social atmosphereThe ideas of a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyndham-lewis/a-sort-of-war-of-revenge-on-the-intellect-is-what-for-some-reason-2/)

[Wyndham Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyndham-lewis/)

> [“Human nature...is more powerfully acted on through imagination and sentiments than through intellect and reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-kinealy/human-nature-is-more-powerfully-acted-on-through-imagination-and/)

Christine Kinealy

> [Does the human intellect, or "reason," really spring us free from our inherence in the depths of this wild proliferation of forms? Or on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-abram/does-the-human-intellect-or-reason-really-spring-us-free-from-our/)

[David Abram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-abram/)

> [A universityeducates the intellect to reason well in all matters, to reach out towards truth, and to grasp it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/a-universityeducates-the-intellect-to-reason-well-in-all-matters-to/)

[John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/)

> [“The emperor counsels simplicity. First principles. Of each particular thing, ask: What is it in itself, in its own constitution? What is its causal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/the-emperor-counsels-simplicity-first-principles-of-each-particular/)

[Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/)

> [“Whenever an art form loses its fire, when it gets weakened by intellectual inbreeding and first principles fade into stale tradition, a radical fringe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/whenever-an-art-form-loses-its-fire-when-it-gets-weakened-by/)

[Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/)

> [“Bertrand Russell:   The expression “free thought” is often used as if it meant merely opposition to the prevailing orthodoxy. But this is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-m-s-pearce/bertrand-russell-the-expression-free-thought-is-often-used-as-if-it/)

Jonathan M.S. Pearce

> [Reasoning is compared to understanding as movement is to rest, or acquisition to possession… Since movement always proceeds from something immovable, and ends in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/reasoning-is-compared-to-understanding-as-movement-is-to-rest-or/)

[Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/)

> [“Since I can see no answer to these questions, I draw the following conclusions. This thing which I have called for convenience the Tao,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/since-i-can-see-no-answer-to-these-questions-i-draw-the-following/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [The soul has two parts, one rational and the other irrational. Let us now similarly divide the rational part, and let it be assumed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-soul-has-two-parts-one-rational-and-the-other-irrational-let-us/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins is an essential covenant to make with the Lord. Faith and repentance precede this ordinance. Confirmation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-theodore-tuttle/baptism-by-immersion-for-the-remission-of-sins-is-an-essential/)

[A. Theodore Tuttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-theodore-tuttle/)

> [We need bold leadership to bring America back to its first principles of diversity inclusion and opportunity for everyone in every ZIP Code, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/we-need-bold-leadership-to-bring-america-back-to-its-first-principles/)

[Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/)

> [It is impossible that there should be so much providence in the last details, and none in the first principles. Then the arts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallust/it-is-impossible-that-there-should-be-so-much-providence-in-the-last/)

[Sallust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallust/)

> [ “In this confusion we begin to see what lies behind John Paul II's startling warning about democracy "effectively mov\[ing\] towards a form of totalitarianism."… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-cardinal-pell/in-this-confusion-we-begin-to-see-what-lies-behind-john-paul-ii-s/)

[George Cardinal Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-cardinal-pell/)

## More by Greg L. Bahnsen

> [“The task of the apologist is not simply to show that there is no hope of eternal salvation outside of Christ, but also that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/the-task-of-the-apologist-is-not-simply-to-show-that-there-is-no-hope/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [A god or revelation capable of proof or rational verification by an autonomous man would be worthless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/a-god-or-revelation-capable-of-proof-or-rational-verification-by-an/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [If no divine law is recognized above the law of the State, then the law of man has become absolute in men's eyes--there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/if-no-divine-law-is-recognized-above-the-law-of-the-state-then-the/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“Since the fall of man was ethical in character (not metaphysical) the unregenerate and regenerate share the facts of the world and the rules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/since-the-fall-of-man-was-ethical-in-character-not-metaphysical-the/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“Without faith, there is no proper understanding by which a man can judge. As Augustine well said, 'I believe in order to understand'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/without-faith-there-is-no-proper-understanding-by-which-a-man-can/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“To avoid Christ in your thought at any point, then, is to be misled, untruthful, and spiritually dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/to-avoid-christ-in-your-thought-at-any-point-then-is-to-be-misled/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“To reason with the non-Christian in a fashion purporting to be independent of God or independent of reliance upon revelation is to honor the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/to-reason-with-the-non-christian-in-a-fashion-purporting-to-be/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“We must not defend our message (that Christ's Word is self-attesting and possessing ultimate authority from the Lord) with a method that works counter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/we-must-not-defend-our-message-that-christ-s-word-is-self-attesting/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [When an apologist attempts to be autonomous in his reasoned argumentation he indicates that he considers God to be less certain than his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/when-an-apologist-attempts-to-be-autonomous-in-his-reasoned/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“Christian apologetics is a defense of religious faith, thus pertaining to the question of one's ultimate commitment in life. Apologetics entails intellectual reasoning in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/christian-apologetics-is-a-defense-of-religious-faith-thus-pertaining/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“By reversing the proper order of things, the non-presuppositional apologist sees submission to God's Word as secondary, rather than primary, sees demonstration as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/by-reversing-the-proper-order-of-things-the-non-presuppositional/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“John Gerstner similarly observes, “Christ’s affirmation of the moral law was complete. Rather than setting His disciples free from the law, He tied them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/john-gerstner-similarly-observes-christ-s-affirmation-of-the-moral/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [There is no way to use non-Christian language and logic to arrive at Christian utterances, conclusions, and behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/there-is-no-way-to-use-non-christian-language-and-logic-to-arrive-at/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [“With its continued dismissal of the law of God in ethics, Fundamentalism expressed both a "spiritualized" form of situational ethics and a "Christianly submissive"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/with-its-continued-dismissal-of-the-law-of-god-in-ethics/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

> [Faith in the self-attesting Christ of Scripture is the beginning, not the end result of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/faith-in-the-self-attesting-christ-of-scripture-is-the-beginning-not/)

[Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

[Explore all 33 Greg L. Bahnsen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/)

## More Character quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [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/)

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/)

David Hudgins

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

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

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Most philosophers do not want intellectual matters to reduce to a question of morality (obedience or rebellion to God's Word). They want to hold the intellect or reason to be above matters of moral volition. They hold that truth is obtainable and testable no matter what ethical condition the thinker is in. Hence, they maintain that all disputes must be rationally resolvable, and a rational case for a philosophic position relies on a valid chain of discursive argumentation that takes us back to incontestable first principles or facts.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Greg L. Bahnsen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectual-matters-to-reduce-to-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectual-matters-to-reduce-to-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/greg-l-bahnsen-19294_character_most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectu_89414.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/greg-l-bahnsen-19294_character_most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectu_89414.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cb/greg-l-bahnsen-19294_character_most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectu_89414.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Most philosophers do not want intellectual matters to reduce to a question of morality (obedience or…” — Greg L. Bahnsen",
                "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": "Greg L. Bahnsen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Most philosophers do not want intellectual...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectual-matters-to-reduce-to-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/most-philosophers-do-not-want-intellectual-matters-to-reduce-to-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
