--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rationalists are admirable beings…" description: "\"Rationalists are admirable beings, rationalism is a hideous monster when it claims for itself omnipotence. Attribution of omnipotence to reason is as b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a3/mahatma-gandhi-23_admirable_rationalists-are-admirable-beings-ration_1943270.jpg" --- # Rationalists are admirable beings, rationalism is a… ![“Rationalists are admirable beings, rationalism is a hideous monster when it claims for itself omnipotence. Attribution of omnipotence to reason is as bad a piece of idolatry as is worship of stock and stone believing it to be God.” quote by Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a3/mahatma-gandhi-23_admirable_rationalists-are-admirable-beings-ration_1943270.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a3/mahatma-gandhi-23_admirable_rationalists-are-admirable-beings-ration_1943270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a3/mahatma-gandhi-23_admirable_rationalists-are-admirable-beings-ration_1943270.jpg) > “Rationalists are admirable beings, rationalism is a hideous monster when it claims for itself omnipotence. Attribution of omnipotence to reason is as bad a piece of idolatry as is worship of stock and stone believing it to be God.” [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rationalism can become oppressive when treated as all‑powerful, similar to idol worship of material objects. **In simple terms:** Reason can be misused as a false god. Key Takeaway Beware of elevating reason above humanity. Themes philosophy critique humanism Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - political debate - ethical decision making - personal reflection Key Concepts idolatry hubris rationalism Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance rational analysis with emotional insight? - When does reason become dogma? A Different Perspective Reason alone cannot solve moral dilemmas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Admirable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admirable/) [Attribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attribution/) [Beings Rationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-rationalism-3109807/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Hideous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hideous/) [Idolatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idolatry/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) [Omnipotence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omnipotence/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Rationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalism/) [Rationalism Hideous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalism-hideous-3109808/) [Rationalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalists-319667/) [Rationalists Admirable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalists-admirable-3109809/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [The various systems of doctrine that have held dominion over man have been demonstrated to be true beyond all question by rationalists of such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-trotter/the-various-systems-of-doctrine-that-have-held-dominion-over-man-have/) [Wilfred Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-trotter/) > [Artists are mystics rather than rationalists. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-karl/clearly-i-regret-the-email-was-quoted-incorrectly-and-i-regret-that/) [Jonathan Karl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-karl/) > [Unlike scandal-monger Ed Klein’s fantastical No. 1 best-selling narrative about the supposed Blood Feud between the Clintons and the Obamas, Halper’s study is juicy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-grove/unlike-scandal-monger-ed-klein-s-fantastical-no-1-best-selling/) [Lloyd Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-grove/) > [First click attribution is akin to giving my first girlfriend 100% of the credit for me marrying my wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avinash-kaushik/first-click-attribution-is-akin-to-giving-my-first-girlfriend-100-of/) [Avinash Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avinash-kaushik/) ## More by Mahatma Gandhi > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Devotion required by the Gita is no soft-hearted effusiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/devotion-required-by-the-gita-is-no-soft-hearted-effusiveness/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [So long as we fear the outside world, we must cease to think of Swaraj.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/so-long-as-we-fear-the-outside-world-we-must-cease-to-think-of-swaraj/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I do not want a kingdom, or heaven; what I want is to remove the trouble of the oppressed, the poor, and the needy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-a-kingdom-or-heaven-what-i-want-is-to-remove-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Religions are not for separating men from one another, they are meant to bind them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/religions-are-not-for-separating-men-from-one-another-they-are-meant/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I hold flesh-food to be unsuited to our species. We err in copying the lower animal world if we are superior to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-hold-flesh-food-to-be-unsuited-to-our-species-we-err-in-copying-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was only in South Africa that I got over this shyness, though I never completely overcame it. It was impossible for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-was-only-in-south-africa-that-i-got-over-this-shyness-though-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Where there is life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/where-there-is-life/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If it was wrong to seek God in a stone, how was it right to seek Him in a book called the Gita, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/if-it-was-wrong-to-seek-god-in-a-stone-how-was-it-right-to-seek-him/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The spirit of democracy cannot be established in the midst of terrorism, whether governmental or popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-spirit-of-democracy-cannot-be-established-in-the-midst-of/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Champions are made from something they have deep inside of them-a desire, a dream, a vison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/champions-are-made-from-something-they-have-deep-inside-of-them-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [My motto is "Unite now, today if you can; fight if you must. But in every case avoid British intervention."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-motto-is-unite-now-today-if-you-can-fight-if-you-must-but-in-every/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I have no disciples, being myself an aspirant after discipleship and in search of a guru.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-have-no-disciples-being-myself-an-aspirant-after-discipleship-and/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Man becomes not the lord and master of all creation but he is its servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/man-becomes-not-the-lord-and-master-of-all-creation-but-he-is-its/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) [Explore all 3,284 Mahatma Gandhi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## More Admirable quotes > [Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/consumer-wants-can-have-bizarre-frivolous-or-even-immoral-origins-and/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Education is very admirable but let us not forget that anything worth knowing cannot be taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/education-is-very-admirable-but-let-us-not-forget-that-anything-worth/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Happiness is a rare plant that seldom takes root on earth-few ever enjoyed it, except for a brief period; the search after it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-gardiner-countess-of-blessington/happiness-is-a-rare-plant-that-seldom-takes-root-on-earth-few-ever/) [Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-gardiner-countess-of-blessington/) > [Worthy is the one who remembers to thank the Lord for all His blessings; but admirable is the one who still thank God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/worthy-is-the-one-who-remembers-to-thank-the-lord-for-all-his/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into, and go out of the world, ignorant of themselves and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/it-is-admirable-to-consider-how-many-millions-of-people-come-into-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [What is pure Bill? 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They say it gives a tang, a savour, which is peculiar and fascinating. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/but-there-are-people-who-take-salt-with-their-coffee-they-say-it/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) [Browse all 398 Admirable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admirable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Rationalists are admirable beings, rationalism is a hideous monster when it claims for itself omnipotence. 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