--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [T]he heart is a very unreliable…" description: "\"“[T]he heart is a very unreliable coinpass, and even will and knowledge, as all ideological factors in general, are not to be trusted as guides if they..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/joseph-dietzgen-104027_class-consciousness_t-he-heart-is-a-very-unreliable-coinpass_2726897.jpg" --- # \[T\]he heart is a very unreliable coinpass, and even will… ![“[T]he heart is a very unreliable coinpass, and even will and knowledge, as all ideological factors in general, are not to be trusted as guides if they are without any material basis…. [I]t is not love nor help which is the guiding rule of our time, but hammer or anvil. In reality it is thus: who…” quote by Joseph Dietzgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/joseph-dietzgen-104027_class-consciousness_t-he-heart-is-a-very-unreliable-coinpass_2726897.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/joseph-dietzgen-104027_class-consciousness_t-he-heart-is-a-very-unreliable-coinpass_2726897.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/joseph-dietzgen-104027_class-consciousness_t-he-heart-is-a-very-unreliable-coinpass_2726897.jpg) > ““\[T\]he heart is a very unreliable coinpass, and even will and knowledge, as all ideological factors in general, are not to be trusted as guides if they are without any material basis…. \[I\]t is not love nor help which is the guiding rule of our time, but hammer or anvil. In reality it is thus: who does not want to be a servant must try to become a master. Under such conditions it is idle to hope that people will sacrifice realities for ideal precepts. We are not sentimental enough to expect such things. Though we use moral arguments in our struggle against the bourgeois, we do all we can to stimulate our class consciousness.”” Joseph Dietzgen ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that moral and ideological guides are unreliable without material basis; instead, mastery and class consciousness should drive action against bourgeois oppression. **In simple terms:** Ideals need material grounding; become a master. Key Takeaway Prioritize material reality. Themes politics ideology class struggle materialism critical theory Mood argument philosophical When to use this quote - activism - labor organizing - political education Key Concepts marxist theory philosophy sociology Practical Applications - It may dismiss the role of ideals in motivating change. Questions to Reflect On - critical - revolutionary A Different Perspective What material facts support your actions?;How can class consciousness be fostered? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class-consciousness/) [Communism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communism/) ## Related quotes > [All political debates, from tax policy to abortion, draw on moral arguments that rest on religious premises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-knowles/all-political-debates-from-tax-policy-to-abortion-draw-on-moral/) [Michael J. Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-knowles/) > [“When you consider atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, their strongest arguments are “moral arguments” against the existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-r-marshall/when-you-consider-atheists-such-as-richard-dawkins-daniel-dennett-sam/) Taylor R. 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Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“Lucien Goldmann has stated the central problem of Marxist aesthetics in the period of advanced capitalism. 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