---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reason is flawless, de jure, but…"
description: "\"“Reason is flawless, de jure, but reasoners are not, de facto.”\" — Peter Kreeft"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/peter-kreeft-820_reason_reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners_301949.png"
---

#  Reason is flawless, de jure, but reasoners are not, de…

![“Reason is flawless, de jure, but reasoners are not, de facto.” quote by Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/peter-kreeft-820_reason_reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners_301949.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/peter-kreeft-820_reason_reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners_301949.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/peter-kreeft-820_reason_reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners_301949.png)

> ““Reason is flawless, de jure, but reasoners are not, de facto.””

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Reason is theoretically perfect, but human reasoners are imperfect in practice.

**In simple terms:** Reason is ideal, people are flawed.

Key Takeaway

Accept reason’s limits and seek humility.

Themes

philosophy humanfallibility epistemology

Mood

thoughtful cautious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- critical thinking
- ethical decision making
- education
- leadership

Key Concepts

theory vs practice bias error correction

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance rational analysis with humility?
- When does intuition complement reason?

A Different Perspective

Reason alone cannot guarantee correct judgments.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Jure Reasoners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jure-reasoners-2883634/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reason Flawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-flawless-2883635/) [Reasoners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoners-831846/) [Reasoners Facto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoners-facto-2883633/)

## Related quotes

> [“I love scientists, they are unpredictable close reasoners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/i-love-scientists-they-are-unpredictable-close-reasoners/)

[sir kristian goldmund aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/)

> [The most fluent talkers or most plausible reasoners are not always the justest thinkers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-most-fluent-talkers-or-most-plausible-reasoners-are-not-always/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [Our minds are finite and far from noble. Knowing their limits can help us to become better reasoners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-marcus/our-minds-are-finite-and-far-from-noble-knowing-their-limits-can-help/)

[Gary Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-marcus/)

> [The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-knowledge-of-the-theory-of-logic-has-no-tendency-whatever-to-make/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The number of people that can reason well is much smaller than those that can reason badly. If reasoning were like hauling rocks, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/the-number-of-people-that-can-reason-well-is-much-smaller-than-those/)

[Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/)

> [False reasoners are often best confuted by giving them the full swing of their own absurdities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/false-reasoners-are-often-best-confuted-by-giving-them-the-full-swing/)

[Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/)

> [“Reason alone fails to justify itself. Not without cause has the devil been called the prince of lawyers, and not by accident are Shakespeare’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smith-iii-ted-j/reason-alone-fails-to-justify-itself-not-without-cause-has-the-devil/)

[Smith III, Ted J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smith-iii-ted-j/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/)

[Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

## More by Peter Kreeft

> [“I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers to God make, and all the people those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/i-strongly-suspect-that-if-we-saw-all-the-difference-even-the-tiniest/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [The most total opposite of pleasure is not pain but boredom, for we are willing to risk pain to make a boring life interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-most-total-opposite-of-pleasure-is-not-pain-but-boredom-for-we/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [God's love is as objective as light. Because the sun in a sense is light, or the source of light rather than being lit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/god-s-love-is-as-objective-as-light-because-the-sun-in-a-sense-is/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [The self is like a baseball. Throw it back to the divine pitcher who pitched it to you in the first place, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-self-is-like-a-baseball-throw-it-back-to-the-divine-pitcher-who/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [How will the Tower of Babel be undone? How will we understand each other in Heaven? Will we all speak English or Dutch or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/how-will-the-tower-of-babel-be-undone-how-will-we-understand-each/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [Humility is the marriage bond of Heaven. Pride is the frigidity of Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/humility-is-the-marriage-bond-of-heaven-pride-is-the-frigidity-of-hell/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [“Socrates says we must be either fools because we think we are wise, or wise because we know we are fools. Christ says we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/socrates-says-we-must-be-either-fools-because-we-think-we-are-wise-or/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [No sane person wants hell to exist. No sane person wants evil to exist. But hell is just evil eternalized. If there is evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/no-sane-person-wants-hell-to-exist-no-sane-person-wants-evil-to-exist/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [Science only answers the question, How does it work? Or at most, What's there? Science asks what and how, philosophy asks why, myth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/science-only-answers-the-question-how-does-it-work-or-at-most-what-s/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [The most compelling evidence for God's existence is Christ. If God does not exist, then Christ was the biggest fool who ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-most-compelling-evidence-for-god-s-existence-is-christ-if-god/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [“One moment of prayer, of weak worship, confused contrition, tepid thanksgiving, or pitiful petition will bring us closer to God than all the books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/one-moment-of-prayer-of-weak-worship-confused-contrition-tepid/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [God's interventions are miracles: events that cannot happen by merely natural agents but only by a supernatural agent. They no more interfere with our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/god-s-interventions-are-miracles-events-that-cannot-happen-by-merely/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [“And what is consensus? It means a majority of the individuals in a society coming together and agreeing to make their values into laws,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/and-what-is-consensus-it-means-a-majority-of-the-individuals-in-a/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [Love is the binding force on every level of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/love-is-the-binding-force-on-every-level-of-existence/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [We can't believe what we believe to be untrue, and we can't love what we believe to be unreal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/we-can-t-believe-what-we-believe-to-be-untrue-and-we-can-t-love-what/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

[Explore all 361 Peter Kreeft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

## More Reason quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/)

[Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/)

> [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [If you can do anything for love there's no reason you can't do everything to someone you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayjay-guillermo/if-you-can-do-anything-for-love-there-s-no-reason-you-can-t-do/)

[Jayjay Guillermo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayjay-guillermo/)

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/)

[Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/)

> [“There's no need for a reason for people to fall in love. Even if people say there is a reason, that's just something they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna-takagi/there-s-no-need-for-a-reason-for-people-to-fall-in-love-even-if/)

[Yuna Takagi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna-takagi/)

> [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

[Browse all 23,417 Reason quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Reason is flawless, de jure, but reasoners are not, de facto.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Kreeft"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners-are-not-de-facto/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Reason"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners-are-not-de-facto/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/peter-kreeft-820_reason_reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners_301949.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/peter-kreeft-820_reason_reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners_301949.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/peter-kreeft-820_reason_reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners_301949.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Reason is flawless, de jure, but reasoners are not, de facto.” — Peter Kreeft",
                "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": "Peter Kreeft",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Reason is flawless, de jure, but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners-are-not-de-facto/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/reason-is-flawless-de-jure-but-reasoners-are-not-de-facto/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
