--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is the tragedy of the postmodern…" description: "\"“This is the tragedy of the postmodern age. The things that matter most in life, that are necessary for a humane society—ideals like moral freedom, hum..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68f/nancy-pearcey-3368_freedom_this-is-the-tragedy-of-the-postmodern-ag_2466921.png" --- # This is the tragedy of the postmodern age. The things that… ![“This is the tragedy of the postmodern age. The things that matter most in life, that are necessary for a humane society—ideals like moral freedom, human dignity, even loving our own children—have been reduced to nothing but useful fictions. They are tossed into the attic, which becomes a…” quote by Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68f/nancy-pearcey-3368_freedom_this-is-the-tragedy-of-the-postmodern-ag_2466921.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68f/nancy-pearcey-3368_freedom_this-is-the-tragedy-of-the-postmodern-ag_2466921.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68f/nancy-pearcey-3368_freedom_this-is-the-tragedy-of-the-postmodern-ag_2466921.png) > ““This is the tragedy of the postmodern age. The things that matter most in life, that are necessary for a humane society—ideals like moral freedom, human dignity, even loving our own children—have been reduced to nothing but useful fictions. They are tossed into the attic, which becomes a convenient dumping ground for anything that a materialist paradigm cannot explain. The Bible teaches that, without God, people are morally lost. But they are also intellectually lost because they are trying to live within the limits of a worldview that is too cramped and narrow to account for their own humanity.”” [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern materialism reduces essential human values to mere fictions, leaving moral and intellectual emptiness; without God, humanity lacks direction and meaning. **In simple terms:** Materialism empties moral purpose; God provides meaning. Key Takeaway Seek transcendent foundations for ethics. Themes philosophy theology culture morality existential Mood reflective serious thought‑provoking Type philosophical theological contemplative When to use this quote - education - public discourse - personal reflection - community building Key Concepts postmodernism materialism spirituality human dignity Questions to Reflect On - What role should faith play in public ethics? - How can societies balance material progress with spiritual well‑being? A Different Perspective May overlook practical solutions to social issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Human dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-dignity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Things that matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-that-matter/) [Without god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-god/) ## Related quotes > [But the most important lesson I have learned in my twenty years or research on morality is that nearly all people are morally motivated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/but-the-most-important-lesson-i-have-learned-in-my-twenty-years-or/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“But I feel like letting other people be good for me--after all, I'm just an unhappy little girl and even if I'm extremely intelligent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/but-i-feel-like-letting-other-people-be-good-for-me-after-all-i-m/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [God save us from people who do the morally right thing. 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Our interest in it is not merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-adler/the-conception-of-worth-that-each-person-is-an-end-per-se-is-not-a/) [Felix Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-adler/) > [If I have a mission in life, it is to convince people that everyone is morally motivated - everyone except for psychopaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-i-have-a-mission-in-life-it-is-to-convince-people-that-everyone-is/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [You can see the rider serving the elephant when people are morally dumbfounded. They have strong gut feelings about what is right and wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/you-can-see-the-rider-serving-the-elephant-when-people-are-morally/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera ## More by Nancy Pearcey > [Pro-lifers have long been castigated for bringing private values into the public square. But actually it is the pro-abortion position that is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/pro-lifers-have-long-been-castigated-for-bringing-private-values-into/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“Redemption is not just about being saved \*from\* the consequences of sin, it is also about being saved \*to\* something- to resume the task…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/redemption-is-not-just-about-being-saved-from-the-consequences-of-sin/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“Author conveys contemporary respect for Methodist preachers who rode the circuit of frontier settlements to put themselves at risk for the Gospel near the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/author-conveys-contemporary-respect-for-methodist-preachers-who-rode/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [Literary theory has become a parody of science, generating its own arcane jargon. 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This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/the-most-consistent-versions-of-materialism-deny-the-reality-of/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [During the first 13 centuries after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, no one thought of setting up a creche to celebrate Christmas. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/during-the-first-13-centuries-after-the-birth-of-jesus-in-bethlehem/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [In many cases students are never exposed to competing ideas within their families, churches, or Christian schools, and as a result they go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/in-many-cases-students-are-never-exposed-to-competing-ideas-within/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“The sword of the Spirit has been muffled up and decked out with flowers and ribbons," author writes, conveying the sentiments of a Congregationist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/the-sword-of-the-spirit-has-been-muffled-up-and-decked-out-with/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“No matter how hard people work to suppress their knowledge of God, creation itself keeps challenging them. “Human life is a continual wrestling match…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/no-matter-how-hard-people-work-to-suppress-their-knowledge-of-god/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [The loss of objectivity in moral thought does not lead to liberation. 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