--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great ideas of the West…" description: "\"The great ideas of the West - rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the separation of church and state, the rule of law, equ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ibn-warraq-17129_achievement_the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism_389322.jpg" --- # The great ideas of the West - rationalism, self-criticism… ![“The great ideas of the West - rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the separation of church and state, the rule of law, equality before the law, freedom of conscience, thought, and expression, human rights, and liberal democracy- quite an achievement, surely, for any…” quote by Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ibn-warraq-17129_achievement_the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism_389322.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ibn-warraq-17129_achievement_the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism_389322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ibn-warraq-17129_achievement_the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism_389322.jpg) > “The great ideas of the West - rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the separation of church and state, the rule of law, equality before the law, freedom of conscience, thought, and expression, human rights, and liberal democracy- quite an achievement, surely, for any civilization- - remain the best, and perhaps the only, means for all people, no matter of what race or creed, to reach their full potential and live in freedom.” [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Western liberal values—reason, law, equality, freedom—offer a universal path to human flourishing. **In simple terms:** Liberal ideas help people live freely and fully. Key Takeaway Support and protect liberal institutions. Themes freedom equality law human rights democracy Mood optimistic critical Type political inspirational When to use this quote - education reform - policy making - human rights advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts political philosophy civil rights social contract Questions to Reflect On - How can liberal values be adapted locally? - What challenges do they face today? A Different Perspective Liberalism may clash with cultural traditions and be resisted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-and-state/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Creeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creeds/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Full potential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/full-potential/) [Great idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-idea/) [Great ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-ideas/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Liberal democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal-democracy/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Rationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalism/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rule of law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-of-law/) [Search for truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/search-for-truth/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-criticism/) [Separation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation/) [Separation of church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation-of-church-and-state/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [It is the West that has liberated women, racial minorities, religious minorities, and gays and lesbians, recognizing and defending their rights. The notions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/it-is-the-west-that-has-liberated-women-racial-minorities-religious/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Because of its exceptional capacity for self-criticism, the West took the initiative in abolishing slavery; the calls for abolition did not resonate even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/because-of-its-exceptional-capacity-for-self-criticism-the-west-took/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [God has formed us moral agents... that we may promote the happiness of those with whom He has placed us in society, by acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/god-has-formed-us-moral-agents-that-we-may-promote-the-happiness-of/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“...freedom of conscience does not mean being uncontrolled - we have to control ourselves and at times submit to others...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/freedom-of-conscience-does-not-mean-being-uncontrolled-we-have-to/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [As crucial as religion has been and is to the life of the nation, America's unifying force has never been a specific faith, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-crucial-as-religion-has-been-and-is-to-the-life-of-the-nation/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [We should foster a culture in which people's private religious beliefs, including atheists and agnostics, are respected. And that's the kind of culture that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-should-foster-a-culture-in-which-people-s-private-religious/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The individual cannot exist on his/her own and the collectivism should respect freedom of conscience. My struggle is about the freedom of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asghar-ali-engineer/the-individual-cannot-exist-on-his-her-own-and-the-collectivism/) [Asghar Ali Engineer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asghar-ali-engineer/) > [“Do you have a truth of your own, Anton ? Tell me, do you? Are you certain of it? Then believe it, not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-lukyanenko/do-you-have-a-truth-of-your-own-anton-tell-me-do-you-are-you-certain/) [Sergei Lukyanenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lukyanenko/) > [“Once the Lutheran churches were secure, Luther, like most other leaders of the Reformations, believed in freedom of conscience only for those who agreed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/once-the-lutheran-churches-were-secure-luther-like-most-other-leaders/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [I believe in absolute freedom of conscience for all men and equality of all churches, all sects and all beliefs before the law as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-smith/i-believe-in-absolute-freedom-of-conscience-for-all-men-and-equality/) [Al Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-smith/) > [All of our effort should be focused on protecting the religious liberties and freedom of conscience for those Americans that profoundly disagree with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/all-of-our-effort-should-be-focused-on-protecting-the-religious/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Nothing is more seductive for a man than his freedom of conscience, but nothing is a greater cause of suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-more-seductive-for-a-man-than-his-freedom-of-conscience/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Why the double standard of counting dignitary harm (in addition to material harms) against conscience claims, but not at all against speech? This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corvino/why-the-double-standard-of-counting-dignitary-harm-in-addition-to/) [John Corvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corvino/) > [I wore a uniform to stand up for all rights and that means I don't pick or choose which I defend, whether it's for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-toole/i-wore-a-uniform-to-stand-up-for-all-rights-and-that-means-i-don-t/) [Erin O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-toole/) > [“In our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-our-country-we-have-those-three-unspeakably-precious-things/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More by Ibn Warraq > [Monotheism is in its turn doomed to subtract one more God and become atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/monotheism-is-in-its-turn-doomed-to-subtract-one-more-god-and-become/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [I have always felt that many Christians, deeply sincere Christians, support the idea of separation of State and Church and the secularist in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/i-have-always-felt-that-many-christians-deeply-sincere-christians/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [In Saudi Arabia, among other countries, Muslims are not free to convert to Christianity, and Christians are not free to practice their faith. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/in-saudi-arabia-among-other-countries-muslims-are-not-free-to-convert/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [I wish more people would belabor the obvious, and more often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/i-wish-more-people-would-belabor-the-obvious-and-more-often/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [It is the West that has liberated women, racial minorities, religious minorities, and gays and lesbians, recognizing and defending their rights. The notions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/it-is-the-west-that-has-liberated-women-racial-minorities-religious/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Not only is the West so successful economically, but it leads the world scientifically, and culturally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/not-only-is-the-west-so-successful-economically-but-it-leads-the/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Abolitionism did not find positive response in Africa as it did in Western societies and cultures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/abolitionism-did-not-find-positive-response-in-africa-as-it-did-in/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [The greatest number of drug addicts are to be found in Teheran and in Karachi, not in the West. Not in New York believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-greatest-number-of-drug-addicts-are-to-be-found-in-teheran-and-in/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Of course slavery and the Muslims were deeply implicated in the slave trade, Islam was an Imperialist religion which destroyed Christianity in the Near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/of-course-slavery-and-the-muslims-were-deeply-implicated-in-the-slave/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [I think forgiveness plays a very important part in Western society and it comes from the Judeo Christian heritage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/i-think-forgiveness-plays-a-very-important-part-in-western-society/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: this triptych succinctly defines the attractiveness and superiority of Western civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness-this-triptych-succinctly/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [The rich countries are rich because of their practices at home, and because of their readiness to adopt and adapt new things, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-rich-countries-are-rich-because-of-their-practices-at-home-and/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [A culture that gave the world the spiritual creations of the Classical Music of Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner and Schubert, the paintings of Michelangelo, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/a-culture-that-gave-the-world-the-spiritual-creations-of-the/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [We cannot hope to win the ideological battle against Islam without criticism of Islam, it is essential that we continue to criticize Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/we-cannot-hope-to-win-the-ideological-battle-against-islam-without/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [You can't grow up without taking a few knocks on the way. All parents know that, but children when they're growing up, they take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/you-can-t-grow-up-without-taking-a-few-knocks-on-the-way-all-parents/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) [Explore all 38 Ibn Warraq quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) ## More Achievement quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera > [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) Chaz Brenchley > [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/) [Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/) Nicholas Roerich > [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) [Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great ideas of the West - rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the separation of church and state, the rule of law, equality before the law, freedom of conscience, thought, and expression, human rights, and liberal democracy- quite an achievement, surely, for any civilization- - remain the best, and perhaps the only, means for all people, no matter of what race or creed, to reach their full potential and live in freedom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ibn Warraq" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism-self-criticism-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achievement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism-self-criticism-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ibn-warraq-17129_achievement_the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism_389322.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ibn-warraq-17129_achievement_the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism_389322.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ibn-warraq-17129_achievement_the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism_389322.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great ideas of the West - rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the…” — Ibn Warraq", "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": "Ibn Warraq", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The great ideas of the West...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism-self-criticism-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/the-great-ideas-of-the-west-rationalism-self-criticism-the/#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 } } ] } ```