--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are victims of the post-Enlightenment…" description: "\"We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering probl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_body_we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment_46628.jpg" --- # We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the… ![“We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and run by wonks. In other words, like a home appliance, not like the human body.” quote by Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_body_we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment_46628.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_body_we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment_46628.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_body_we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment_46628.jpg) > “We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and run by wonks. In other words, like a home appliance, not like the human body.” [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the reductionist mindset that treats complex systems, especially human societies, as predictable machines, ignoring their organic, emergent nature. **In simple terms:** Reductionism vs. organic complexity Key Takeaway Beware of oversimplifying human systems Themes philosophy science sociology complexity human nature Mood critical skeptical provocative Type observation cautionary When to use this quote - policy design - organizational management - technology development - education curriculum Key Concepts systems thinking emergence human agency Practical Applications - designing resilient institutions - creating humane AI Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing society as a machine limit innovation? - What alternatives exist to a purely mechanistic worldview? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-body/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Victims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victims/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The Enlightenment view of mankind is a complete myth. It leads us into thinking we're sane and rational creatures most of the time, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/the-enlightenment-view-of-mankind-is-a-complete-myth-it-leads-us-into/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [In truth, one cannot, it seems, oppose mechanism and finalism, one cannot oppose mechanism and anthropomorphism, for if the functioning of a machine is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-canguilhem/in-truth-one-cannot-it-seems-oppose-mechanism-and-finalism-one-cannot-2/) [Georges Canguilhem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-canguilhem/) > [In truth, one cannot, it seems, oppose mechanism and finalism, one cannot oppose mechanism and anthropomorphism, for if the functioning of a machine is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-canguilhem/in-truth-one-cannot-it-seems-oppose-mechanism-and-finalism-one-cannot/) [Georges Canguilhem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-canguilhem/) > [The effect of the post-Enlightenment project for human society is that all human activity is absorbed into labor. 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How do you see that as boring? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/science-is-you-it-s-your-head-it-s-your-dog-it-s-your-iphone-it-s-the/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Textbook rental is a great concept. It is just a great business model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rosensweig/textbook-rental-is-a-great-concept-it-is-just-a-great-business-model/) [Dan Rosensweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rosensweig/) > [Texting + Facebook = Textbook... So I'm studying right? ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-loveable/texting-facebook-textbook-so-i-m-studying-right/) [Arjun Loveable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-loveable/) > [I am a follower of Jesus Christ. The Bible is my primary way of knowing Him and what it means to follow Him. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hamilton/i-am-a-follower-of-jesus-christ-the-bible-is-my-primary-way-of/) [Adam Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hamilton/) > [The Bible was America's basic textbook in all fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/the-bible-was-america-s-basic-textbook-in-all-fields/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [What do you do with a textbook case when no one's written the textbook?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/what-do-you-do-with-a-textbook-case-when-no-one-s-written-the-textbook/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [I would say that, in the future, the book will be reserved for things that function best as a book. So, if I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/i-would-say-that-in-the-future-the-book-will-be-reserved-for-things/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [Textbook publishers don't even bother to advertise at their conventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-brimelow/textbook-publishers-don-t-even-bother-to-advertise-at-their/) [Peter Brimelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-brimelow/) > [I actually think it almost works the other way sometimes: making a college textbook, say, look really "user friendly" tends to also make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bierut/i-actually-think-it-almost-works-the-other-way-sometimes-making-a/) [Michael Bierut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bierut/) ## More by Nassim Nicholas Taleb > [To become a philosopher, start by walking very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/to-become-a-philosopher-start-by-walking-very-slowly/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Wittgenstein's ruler: Unless you have confidence in the ruler's reliability, if you use a ruler to measure a table you may also be using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/wittgenstein-s-ruler-unless-you-have-confidence-in-the-ruler-s/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [My nightmare scenario is that the government saves Citibank once again, as well as the other banks, and business resumes as usual. 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Does it mean that the work involved in the trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/one-needs-to-go-out-and-buy-a-lottery-ticket-in-order-to-win-does-it/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Individuals should think about the worst-case scenarios and plan for them. The world will be crazier than you think it will be. Put money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/individuals-should-think-about-the-worst-case-scenarios-and-plan-for/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“If you are looking for your misplaced wallet in your living room, in a trial and error mode, you exercise rationality by not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/if-you-are-looking-for-your-misplaced-wallet-in-your-living-room-in-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We learn the most from fools ... yet we pay them back with the worst ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-learn-the-most-from-fools-yet-we-pay-them-back-with-the-worst/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“loss of bone density and degradation of the health of the bones also causes aging, diabetes, and, for males, loss of fertility and sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/loss-of-bone-density-and-degradation-of-the-health-of-the-bones-also/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“It takes a huge investment in introspection to learn that the thirty or more hours spent “studying” the news last month neither had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/it-takes-a-huge-investment-in-introspection-to-learn-that-the-thirty/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Authors, artists, and even philosophers are much better off having a very small number of fanatics behind them than a large number of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/authors-artists-and-even-philosophers-are-much-better-off-having-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Explore all 635 Nassim Nicholas Taleb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. 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