--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reason as an organ for perceiving the…" description: "\"Reason as an organ for perceiving the true nature of reality and determining the guiding principles of our lives has come to be regarded as obsolete.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/max-horkheimer-16619_guiding-principles_reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-tr_748722.jpg" --- # Reason as an organ for perceiving the true nature of… ![“Reason as an organ for perceiving the true nature of reality and determining the guiding principles of our lives has come to be regarded as obsolete.” quote by Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/max-horkheimer-16619_guiding-principles_reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-tr_748722.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/max-horkheimer-16619_guiding-principles_reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-tr_748722.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/max-horkheimer-16619_guiding-principles_reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-tr_748722.jpg) > “Reason as an organ for perceiving the true nature of reality and determining the guiding principles of our lives has come to be regarded as obsolete.” [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The claim that reason can fully grasp reality and dictate life’s direction is now seen as outdated. **In simple terms:** Reason alone can’t fully understand reality or guide life. Key Takeaway Question the limits of pure rationality. Themes philosophy critical theory modernity Mood reflective critical skeptical Type analytical philosophical critical When to use this quote - academic debate - policy making - personal decision making - education reform Key Concepts epistemology ontology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do emotions complement reason? - What alternatives to rationalism exist? A Different Perspective Reason can be biased by cultural and historical contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Guiding principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guiding-principles/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Obsolete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsolete/) [Organs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organs/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [True nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-nature/) ## Related quotes > [“Binary approach is an obsolete school of thought in the process of structuring human perception towards reality. True nature of the reality fits better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/binary-approach-is-an-obsolete-school-of-thought-in-the-process-of/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Although the formulations of science now offer the most advanced knowledge of nature, men continue to use obsolete forms of thought long discarded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/although-the-formulations-of-science-now-offer-the-most-advanced/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [There is no guiding principle, because the work that is created in collaborations should be created from its own principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eyvind-kang/there-is-no-guiding-principle-because-the-work-that-is-created-in/) [Eyvind Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eyvind-kang/) > [Tenderness and respect-never selfishness-must be the guiding principles in the intimate relationship between husband and wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-w-hunter/tenderness-and-respect-never-selfishness-must-be-the-guiding/) [Howard W. Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-w-hunter/) > [When we assume God to be a guiding principle well, sure enough, a god is usually characteristic of a certain system of thought or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/when-we-assume-god-to-be-a-guiding-principle-well-sure-enough-a-god/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Widely dispersed knowledge concerning the important role of basic cooperative processes among living beings may lead to the acceptance of cooperation as a guiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warder-clyde-allee/widely-dispersed-knowledge-concerning-the-important-role-of-basic/) Warder Clyde Allee > [Being an art form, verse cannot be "free" in the sense of having no limitations or guiding principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/being-an-art-form-verse-cannot-be-free-in-the-sense-of-having-no/) [William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/) > [My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and co-operation, I can look forward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/my-guiding-principle-will-be-justice-and-complete-impartiality-and-i/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [When we began Starbucks, what I wanted to try to do was to create a set of values, guiding principles, and culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/when-we-began-starbucks-what-i-wanted-to-try-to-do-was-to-create-a/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [What I remember most clearly was that when I put down a suggestion that seemed to me cogent and reasonable, Einstein did not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-bondi/what-i-remember-most-clearly-was-that-when-i-put-down-a-suggestion/) [Hermann Bondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-bondi/) > [The guiding principle of this Nation has been, is now, and ever shall be IN GOD WE TRUST.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-guiding-principle-of-this-nation-has-been-is-now-and-ever-shall/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [One of my guiding principles is don't do anything that other people are doing. Always do something a little different if you can. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/one-of-my-guiding-principles-is-don-t-do-anything-that-other-people/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [Never let pride be your guiding principle. Let your accomplishments speak for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/never-let-pride-be-your-guiding-principle-let-your-accomplishments/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [I want you to remember the guiding principles of my life. You can be what you want to be, if you believe in yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirby-puckett/i-want-you-to-remember-the-guiding-principles-of-my-life-you-can-be/) [Kirby Puckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirby-puckett/) > [One of the guiding principles of Altuzarra is that fashion can be transformative, changing not just the way you look, but also the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-altuzarra/one-of-the-guiding-principles-of-altuzarra-is-that-fashion-can-be/) [Joseph Altuzarra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-altuzarra/) ## More by Max Horkheimer > [Philosophy is overwhelmingly complicated, its procedure depressingly slow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/philosophy-is-overwhelmingly-complicated-its-procedure-depressingly/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [The inversion of external compulsion into the compulsion of conscience ... produces the machine-like assiduity and pliable allegiance required by the new rationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/the-inversion-of-external-compulsion-into-the-compulsion-of/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [The endeavor of scientific research to see events in their more general connection in order to determine their laws, is a legitimate and useful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/the-endeavor-of-scientific-research-to-see-events-in-their-more/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [Pragmatism ... reflects with almost disarming candor the spirit of the prevailing business culture, the very same attitude of 'being practical' as counter to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/pragmatism-reflects-with-almost-disarming-candor-the-spirit-of-the/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [At present, when the prevailing forms of society have become hindrances to the free expression of human powers, it is precisely the abstract branches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/at-present-when-the-prevailing-forms-of-society-have-become/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [The quality of the human that precludes identifying the individual with the class is 'metaphysical' and has no place in empiricist epistemology. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/one-of-my-guiding-principles-is-don-t-do-anything-that-other-people/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [The guiding principle of this Nation has been, is now, and ever shall be IN GOD WE TRUST.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-guiding-principle-of-this-nation-has-been-is-now-and-ever-shall/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [What I remember most clearly was that when I put down a suggestion that seemed to me cogent and reasonable, Einstein did not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-bondi/what-i-remember-most-clearly-was-that-when-i-put-down-a-suggestion/) [Hermann Bondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-bondi/) > [When we began Starbucks, what I wanted to try to do was to create a set of values, guiding principles, and culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/when-we-began-starbucks-what-i-wanted-to-try-to-do-was-to-create-a/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and co-operation, I can look forward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/my-guiding-principle-will-be-justice-and-complete-impartiality-and-i/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [Being an art form, verse cannot be "free" in the sense of having no limitations or guiding principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/being-an-art-form-verse-cannot-be-free-in-the-sense-of-having-no/) [William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/) > [Widely dispersed knowledge concerning the important role of basic cooperative processes among living beings may lead to the acceptance of cooperation as a guiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warder-clyde-allee/widely-dispersed-knowledge-concerning-the-important-role-of-basic/) Warder Clyde Allee > [When we assume God to be a guiding principle well, sure enough, a god is usually characteristic of a certain system of thought or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/when-we-assume-god-to-be-a-guiding-principle-well-sure-enough-a-god/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Tenderness and respect-never selfishness-must be the guiding principles in the intimate relationship between husband and wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-w-hunter/tenderness-and-respect-never-selfishness-must-be-the-guiding/) [Howard W. Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-w-hunter/) > [There is no guiding principle, because the work that is created in collaborations should be created from its own principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eyvind-kang/there-is-no-guiding-principle-because-the-work-that-is-created-in/) [Eyvind Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eyvind-kang/) > [My guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-william/my-guiding-principles-in-life-are-to-be-honest-genuine-thoughtful-and/) [Prince William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-william/) > [“In 2014, the ad that the NFL turned down featured a former Marine talking about his responsibility for his family’s safety. Unlike Bloomberg’s ads,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-lott-jr/in-2014-the-ad-that-the-nfl-turned-down-featured-a-former-marine/) [John R. Lott Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-lott-jr/) [Browse all 73 Guiding principles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guiding-principles/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Reason as an organ for perceiving the true nature of reality and determining the guiding principles of our lives has come to be regarded as obsolete.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Max Horkheimer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-true-nature-of-reality-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Guiding principles" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-true-nature-of-reality-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/max-horkheimer-16619_guiding-principles_reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-tr_748722.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/max-horkheimer-16619_guiding-principles_reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-tr_748722.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b4/max-horkheimer-16619_guiding-principles_reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-tr_748722.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Reason as an organ for perceiving the true nature of reality and determining the guiding principles of our…” — Max Horkheimer", "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": "Max Horkheimer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Reason as an organ for perceiving...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-true-nature-of-reality-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/reason-as-an-organ-for-perceiving-the-true-nature-of-reality-and/#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 } } ] } ```