--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man without reason is no better than a…" description: "\"“A man without reason is no better than a mad dog, and mad dogs must be put down for the good of everyone.”\" — James L. Sutter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a7/james-l-sutter-105637_atheism_a-man-without-reason-is-no-better-than-a_2483154.jpg" --- # A man without reason is no better than a mad dog, and mad… ![“A man without reason is no better than a mad dog, and mad dogs must be put down for the good of everyone.” quote by James L. Sutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a7/james-l-sutter-105637_atheism_a-man-without-reason-is-no-better-than-a_2483154.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a7/james-l-sutter-105637_atheism_a-man-without-reason-is-no-better-than-a_2483154.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a7/james-l-sutter-105637_atheism_a-man-without-reason-is-no-better-than-a_2483154.jpg) > ““A man without reason is no better than a mad dog, and mad dogs must be put down for the good of everyone.”” [James L. Sutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-sutter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person lacking rational thought is as dangerous as a mad animal, and society must restrain such irrationality for collective safety. **In simple terms:** Reasonlessness is dangerous; society must curb it. Key Takeaway Value reason, protect community. Themes reason irrationality societal safety animal metaphor Mood serious cautionary Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political debate - public policy - education - mental health - law enforcement Key Concepts philosophy ethics social control Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance reason with compassion? - When is restraint justified? A Different Perspective Reason alone may not guarantee humane treatment of dissenters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Better Mad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-mad-884856/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Mad dogs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mad-dogs/) [Man Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-reason/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reason Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-better-884857/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Without reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-reason/) ## Related quotes > [It is better to be mad and know it, than to calm and doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-mircevski-spasov/it-is-better-to-be-mad-and-know-it-than-to-calm-and-doubt/) [Miroslav Mircevski Spasov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-mircevski-spasov/) > [Better mad with the rest of the world than wise alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/better-mad-with-the-rest-of-the-world-than-wise-alone/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [He pitches better when he's mad, so I try to make him that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-posada/he-pitches-better-when-he-s-mad-so-i-try-to-make-him-that-way/) [Jorge Posada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-posada/) > [Everything happens for a reason and, something better will come along for me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/everything-happens-for-a-reason-and-something-better-will-come-along/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [If you have more than one reason to do something (choose a doctor or veterinarian, hire a gardener or an employee, marry a person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/if-you-have-more-than-one-reason-to-do-something-choose-a-doctor-or/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [And if your parents have you for a reason, then that reason better exist. Because once it's gone, so are you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/and-if-your-parents-have-you-for-a-reason-then-that-reason-better/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The greatest flaw of human beings is to remain glued to the inventory of reason. Reason doesn't deal with man as energy. Reason deals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-greatest-flaw-of-human-beings-is-to-remain-glued-to-the-inventory/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [One big reason is better than many little reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-blackwell/one-big-reason-is-better-than-many-little-reasons/) [Morton Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-blackwell/) > [“You’re better than this, Adrian. Whatever the reason, you’re better than it. Don’t trick yourself into thinking you’re weaker than you are”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/you-re-better-than-this-adrian-whatever-the-reason-you-re-better-than/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“More intelligent people appear to reason better only when you tell them in advance what good thinking is!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-e-stanovich/more-intelligent-people-appear-to-reason-better-only-when-you-tell/) [Keith E. Stanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-e-stanovich/) > [Anything can be done for the simple reason that you have nothing better to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anything-can-be-done-for-the-simple-reason-that-you-have-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...But the Mahommedan religion increases, instead of lessening, the fury of intolerance. It was originally propagated by the sword, and ever since, its votaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/but-the-mahommedan-religion-increases-instead-of-lessening-the-fury/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [People don't know how chickens can turn on you, but they can -- just like mad dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/people-don-t-know-how-chickens-can-turn-on-you-but-they-can-just-like/) [Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/) > [Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/mad-dogs-and-englishmen-go-out-in-the-mid-day-sun/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some \*\*\*\*\*\*\*s in the world that just need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/the-first-time-you-blow-someone-away-is-not-an-insignificant-event/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) ## More by James L. Sutter > [“Religion doesn't just cloud our minds. It asks us to deliberately deceive ourselves-- to replace reason with its opposite, faith. And when men operate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-sutter/religion-doesn-t-just-cloud-our-minds-it-asks-us-to-deliberately/) [James L. Sutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-sutter/) [Explore all 2 James L. Sutter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-sutter/) ## More Atheism quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [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/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Do you think that was kind? Do you think it was godlike? What would you think of a physician, if a woman came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-h-gardener/do-you-think-that-was-kind-do-you-think-it-was-godlike-what-would-you/) [Helen H. Gardener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-h-gardener/) > [Science can destroy religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/science-can-destroy-religion-by-ignoring-it-as-well-as-by-disproving/) [Arthur C. 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