--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Two things strike me dumb: the infinite…" description: "\"Two things strike me dumb: the infinite starry heavens, and the sense of right and wrong in man.\" — Immanuel Kant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/immanuel-kant-532_dumb_two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-s_555221.jpg" --- # Two things strike me dumb: the infinite starry heavens… ![“Two things strike me dumb: the infinite starry heavens, and the sense of right and wrong in man.” quote by Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/immanuel-kant-532_dumb_two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-s_555221.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/immanuel-kant-532_dumb_two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-s_555221.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/immanuel-kant-532_dumb_two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-s_555221.jpg) > “Two things strike me dumb: the infinite starry heavens, and the sense of right and wrong in man.” [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kant marvels at the vastness of the cosmos and the innate moral sense within humans, seeing both as profound mysteries. **In simple terms:** The universe is huge and humans have a built‑in sense of right and wrong. Key Takeaway Reflect on humanity’s moral intuition. Themes cosmos morality human nature Mood contemplative inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - stargazing - ethical debates - education - personal reflection Key Concepts philosophy ethics metaphysics Questions to Reflect On - What gives you confidence in moral judgments? - How does the infinite universe affect your sense of purpose? A Different Perspective The claim may overgeneralize human morality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumb/) [Dumb Infinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumb-infinite-4614510/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Heavens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavens/) [Heavens Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavens-sense-4614509/) [Infinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite/) [Infinite Starry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite-starry-4400460/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Starry Heavens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starry-heavens-533105/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-things/) ## Related quotes > [When I look up into the starry heavens at night and reflect upon what it is I really see there, I am constrained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/when-i-look-up-into-the-starry-heavens-at-night-and-reflect-upon-what/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [“Can it be that there is not enough space for man in this beautiful world, under those immeasurable, starry heavens?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/can-it-be-that-there-is-not-enough-space-for-man-in-this-beautiful/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“There was no point in taking issue with Marilla's overweening self-regard. It was as infinite as a starry night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/there-was-no-point-in-taking-issue-with-marilla-s-overweening-self/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“Two things fill the mind with every new and increasing wonder and awe, the oftener and the more steadily I reflect upon them: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-fill-the-mind-with-every-new-and-increasing-wonder-and-awe/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [“Two things fill my mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the reflection dwells on them: the starry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-fill-my-mind-with-ever-increasing-wonder-and-awe-the-more/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing wonder and awe - the starry heavens above me and the moral law within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-fill-the-mind-with-ever-new-and-increasing-wonder-and-awe-2/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-fill-the-mind-with-ever-new-and-increasing-admiration-and/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [How can anyone be so full of pride? We are all living under the same sky, aren't we? Looking into the starry heavens alone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-can-anyone-be-so-full-of-pride-we-are-all-living-under-the-same/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [An Indian philosopher, being asked what were, according to his opinion, the two most beautiful things in the universe, answered: The starry heavens above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-benigne-bossuet/an-indian-philosopher-being-asked-what-were-according-to-his-opinion/) [Jacques-Benigne Bossuet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-benigne-bossuet/) > [Why did not somebody teach me the constellations, and make me at home in the starry heavens, which are always overhead, and which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/why-did-not-somebody-teach-me-the-constellations-and-make-me-at-home/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Stargazing is one of the most profoundly human things one can do. But perhaps we must more frequently tear ourselves away from the mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gleeson/stargazing-is-one-of-the-most-profoundly-human-things-one-can-do-but/) [Jack Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gleeson/) > [“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psalm-19-1-esv/the-heavens-declare-the-glory-of-god-and-the-sky-above-proclaims-his/) [Psalm 19 1 ESV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psalm-19-1-esv/) > [“No wonder simple men have always had their gods dwell in the high places. For as soon as a man lets his eye drop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/no-wonder-simple-men-have-always-had-their-gods-dwell-in-the-high/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [Look To The Heavens In Times Of Need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-hazzard/look-to-the-heavens-in-times-of-need/) [Bobby Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-hazzard/) > [“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-young/the-heavens-declare-the-glory-of-god-the-skies-proclaim-the-work-of/) [Sarah Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-young/) ## More by Immanuel Kant > [Even if a civil society were to be dissolved by the consent of all its members (e.g., if a people inhabiting an island decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/even-if-a-civil-society-were-to-be-dissolved-by-the-consent-of-all/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [How then is perfection to be sought? Wherein lies our hope? In education, and in nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/how-then-is-perfection-to-be-sought-wherein-lies-our-hope-in/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Heaven has given human beings three things to balance the odds of life: hope, sleep, and laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/heaven-has-given-human-beings-three-things-to-balance-the-odds-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Beauty presents an indeterminate concept of Understanding, the sublime an indeterminate concept of Reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/beauty-presents-an-indeterminate-concept-of-understanding-the-sublime/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Philosophical knowledge is the knowledge gained by reason from concepts ; mathematical knowledge is the knowledge gained by reason from the construction of concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/philosophical-knowledge-is-the-knowledge-gained-by-reason-from/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [A categorical imperative would be one which represented an action as objectively necessary in itself, without reference to any other purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-categorical-imperative-would-be-one-which-represented-an-action-as/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [When I could have used a wife, I could not support one; and when I could support one, I no longer needed any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/when-i-could-have-used-a-wife-i-could-not-support-one-and-when-i/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Enlightenment is the liberation of man from his self-caused state of minority... Supere aude! Dare to use your own understanding!is thus the motto of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/enlightenment-is-the-liberation-of-man-from-his-self-caused-state-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [The ideal of the supreme being is nothing but a regulative principle of reason which directs us to look upon all connection in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-ideal-of-the-supreme-being-is-nothing-but-a-regulative-principle/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [“Jeg skal alltid handle slik at den regelen jeg handler etter kunne gjelde som allmenn lov.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/jeg-skal-alltid-handle-slik-at-den-regelen-jeg-handler-etter-kunne/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Deaths, births, and marriages, considering how much they are separately dependent on the freedom of the human will, should seem to be subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/deaths-births-and-marriages-considering-how-much-they-are-separately/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [It is precisely in knowing its limits that philosophy consists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/it-is-precisely-in-knowing-its-limits-that-philosophy-consists/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [A society that is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has taken somebody else’s life is simply immoral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-society-that-is-not-willing-to-demand-a-life-of-somebody-who-has/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [. . . as to moral feeling, this supposed special sense, the appeal to it is indeed superficial when those who cannot think believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/as-to-moral-feeling-this-supposed-special-sense-the-appeal-to-it-is/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Explore all 476 Immanuel Kant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) ## More Dumb quotes > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“War is not nice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/war-is-not-nice/) [Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/) > [I love comedy. I love the absurdity of it. I love the kind of intelligence that's required to be dumb in comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/i-love-comedy-i-love-the-absurdity-of-it-i-love-the-kind-of/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [Marilyn was a great actress, not a dumb blond bombshell. She was very smart, very astute and a good businesswoman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-schiller/marilyn-was-a-great-actress-not-a-dumb-blond-bombshell-she-was-very/) [Lawrence Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-schiller/) > [I'm a meathead. I can't help it, man. You've got smart people and you've got dumb people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/i-m-a-meathead-i-can-t-help-it-man-you-ve-got-smart-people-and-you-ve/) [Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/) > [I always wanted to make big action movies as a kid, and that was my dream. In a way, 'Swingers' was the thing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-big-action-movies-as-a-kid-and-that-was-my/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Me seeing how thick my callous is on my hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-country/me-seeing-how-thick-my-callous-is-on-my-hand/) [Michael Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-country/) > [It is unfortunate to consider all lawyers as natural Satanists many are just dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-maslow/it-is-unfortunate-to-consider-all-lawyers-as-natural-satanists-many/) [Abraham Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-maslow/) > [I hate it when people come up to me on trains and ask 'Are you Soulja Boy?' If people want pictures or autographs, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/i-hate-it-when-people-come-up-to-me-on-trains-and-ask-are-you-soulja/) [Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/) > [I just don't like that you can either be ugly and smart or pretty and dumb, or ugly and nice or pretty and mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-just-don-t-like-that-you-can-either-be-ugly-and-smart-or-pretty-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I turned back to the mirror, seeing that there were no lines on it. It was empty. "What happened to my mirror?" I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/i-turned-back-to-the-mirror-seeing-that-there-were-no-lines-on-it-it/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [I'm pretty cautious and not very athletic, so I've only had really dumb injuries, like sprained ankles and allergic reactions. I did have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-m-pretty-cautious-and-not-very-athletic-so-i-ve-only-had-really/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-british-government-has-learned-that-saddam-hussein-recently/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Browse all 2,053 Dumb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumb/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Two things strike me dumb: the infinite starry heavens, and the sense of right and wrong in man.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Immanuel Kant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-starry-heavens-and-the-sense/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dumb" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-starry-heavens-and-the-sense/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/immanuel-kant-532_dumb_two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-s_555221.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/immanuel-kant-532_dumb_two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-s_555221.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/immanuel-kant-532_dumb_two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-s_555221.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Two things strike me dumb: the infinite starry heavens, and the sense of right and wrong in man.” — Immanuel Kant", "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": "Immanuel Kant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Two things strike me dumb: the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-starry-heavens-and-the-sense/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/two-things-strike-me-dumb-the-infinite-starry-heavens-and-the-sense/#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 } } ] } ```