--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There can be no such thing as…" description: "\"“There can be no such thing as “philosophical horror”, at least as a premeditated genre. Why? Because philosophy implies enquiry, reflection and an ope..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/quentin-s-crisp-4149_horror-fiction_there-can-be-no-such-thing-as-philosophi_2320864.jpg" --- # There can be no such thing as “philosophical horror”, at… ![“There can be no such thing as “philosophical horror”, at least as a premeditated genre. Why? Because philosophy implies enquiry, reflection and an open mind, whereas the genre of horror demands certain conclusions in advance.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/quentin-s-crisp-4149_horror-fiction_there-can-be-no-such-thing-as-philosophi_2320864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/quentin-s-crisp-4149_horror-fiction_there-can-be-no-such-thing-as-philosophi_2320864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/quentin-s-crisp-4149_horror-fiction_there-can-be-no-such-thing-as-philosophi_2320864.jpg) > ““There can be no such thing as “philosophical horror”, at least as a premeditated genre. Why? Because philosophy implies enquiry, reflection and an open mind, whereas the genre of horror demands certain conclusions in advance.”” [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophy requires open inquiry, while horror forces predetermined conclusions, making a pre‑planned “philosophical horror” contradictory. **In simple terms:** Philosophy is open; horror is fixed. Key Takeaway Accept open‑ended questioning. Themes philosophy genre theory creativity Mood thoughtful analytical Type critical theoretical When to use this quote - writing fiction - academic analysis - film criticism Key Concepts open inquiry pre‑conception genre boundaries Questions to Reflect On - Can a work be both thought‑provoking and terrifying? - How does genre expectation shape content? A Different Perspective Horror can still explore philosophical ideas without a fixed genre label. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Genre Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre-philosophy-5547086/) [Horror-fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-fiction/) [Open mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-mind/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophical Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical-horror-5547085/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Implies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-implies-5547087/) [Pretentiousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretentiousness/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Thing Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-philosophical-1425006/) ## Related quotes > [If there is such a thing as philosophical progress, then why - unlike scientific progress - is it so invisible? Philosophical progress is invisible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/if-there-is-such-a-thing-as-philosophical-progress-then-why-unlike/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [“There are many dark corners in the many universes. Don't continue on if you are afraid to explore the dark, brutal and absurd”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-agranoff/there-are-many-dark-corners-in-the-many-universes-don-t-continue-on/) [David Agranoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-agranoff/) > [“I’m haunted. We all are, I guess. We’re parentless, friendless, unloved, abandoned. The spirits of our deceased emotional anchors and proofs of existence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-s-hornsby/i-m-haunted-we-all-are-i-guess-we-re-parentless-friendless-unloved/) [Jason S. Hornsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-s-hornsby/) > [“Drifting on the black, rippling surface were fingers. Thumbs. Dozens of them. Hundreds, floating like dead fish in a dynamited pond. I saw part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-hirshberg/drifting-on-the-black-rippling-surface-were-fingers-thumbs-dozens-of/) [Glen Hirshberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-hirshberg/) > [“The image is an example of how horror writers view our world. A view that is far from the norm. Their writing always seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/the-image-is-an-example-of-how-horror-writers-view-our-world-a-view/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [“Time is tick, tick, ticking away. How many souls will I capture today? Will they be a challenge or will they be given? Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/time-is-tick-tick-ticking-away-how-many-souls-will-i-capture-today/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [“That's why Quincy's Sweets exists.  When I graduated college with a marketing degree and moved to New York, I still thought of myself as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-sager/that-s-why-quincy-s-sweets-exists-when-i-graduated-college-with-a/) [Riley Sager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riley-sager/) > [“Would death be like that: Endless liquid silence?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cutter/would-death-be-like-that-endless-liquid-silence/) [Nick Cutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cutter/) > [“Horror is the only genre where you don't have to explain everything. Things happen just because and that alone makes it scary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-horn/horror-is-the-only-genre-where-you-don-t-have-to-explain-everything/) [R.A. Horn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-horn/) > [“When looking for a job, ignore (don't even bother with them) those companies who expect you to literally do everything for them and also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mentillo/when-looking-for-a-job-ignore-don-t-even-bother-with-them-those/) [Chris Mentillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mentillo/) > [“In the illusion of delusion, between madness and lawlessness I exist. I dream about dreams, about illusions and disillusions and cold and madness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-lemus/in-the-illusion-of-delusion-between-madness-and-lawlessness-i-exist-i/) [E.C. Lemus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-lemus/) > [“In a world where we know so much about the world, we need monsters. Monsters bring some much needed mystery back into the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-newman/in-a-world-where-we-know-so-much-about-the-world-we-need-monsters/) [Scott Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-newman/) > [“Some people just can’t grasp how powerless they are. I like the spirited ones. Most of the time you hateful creatures throw yourselves into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mackillican/some-people-just-can-t-grasp-how-powerless-they-are-i-like-the/) [Daniel MacKillican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mackillican/) > [“Oh so we are neighbours?” She tried to smile sweetly, so Maggie felt like she could talk more. Maggie shrugged again, “Not for long.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sian-b-claven/oh-so-we-are-neighbours-she-tried-to-smile-sweetly-so-maggie-felt/) [Sian B. Claven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sian-b-claven/) > [“Teacher's pet Teacher's pet.. Your feeling so perplexed... Your friend has gone into pieces and you'll be next...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-tankersley-cusick/teacher-s-pet-teacher-s-pet-your-feeling-so-perplexed-your-friend-has/) [Richie Tankersley Cusick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-tankersley-cusick/) ## More by Quentin S. Crisp > [I have a sense of them being Easter religions, for some reason. Christianity, of course, is a mystery religion, too, and I believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-have-a-sense-of-them-being-easter-religions-for-some-reason/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [ If we do want to do that \[ colonise space to survive, \], then vacuous materialism is not going to be enough for us. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/if-we-do-want-to-do-that-colonise-space-to-survive-then-vacuous/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [I seemed to recall some words from an old Zen master, something like, "My Zen cuts down mountains." My rejection of Buddhism was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-seemed-to-recall-some-words-from-an-old-zen-master-something-like/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [ This is the strange thing about existing in time. As \[Philip\] Larkin puts it, "truly, though our element is time, we are not used… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/this-is-the-strange-thing-about-existing-in-time-as-philip-larkin/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [I've never been baptised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-ve-never-been-baptised/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [It would be hard to say that exactly, but antinatalism is a reality in my life, not just an interesting idea. I can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/it-would-be-hard-to-say-that-exactly-but-antinatalism-is-a-reality-in/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [ \[william\] Burroughs, incidentally, took up the slogan that we are "Here to go", which contradicts the tendency in Eastern mysticism to advocate staying where… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/william-burroughs-incidentally-took-up-the-slogan-that-we-are-here-to/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [As children in the seventies we were told about nebulous 'strangers'. By definition, we didn't know who these strangers were, and we didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/as-children-in-the-seventies-we-were-told-about-nebulous-strangers-by/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [This is part of the fundamental character of Buddhism that I find problematic - that it is not interested in anything. Hence the 'Fascination'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/this-is-part-of-the-fundamental-character-of-buddhism-that-i-find/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [ I also remember a line from a song by Smog \[Bill Callahan\], which seems to describe the experience of a town-dweller moving to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-also-remember-a-line-from-a-song-by-smog-bill-callahan-which-seems/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [This strong sense of who I am that I've always had, since I was very young, is what makes me write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/this-strong-sense-of-who-i-am-that-i-ve-always-had-since-i-was-very/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [I like the concept of an anti-muse, though I'm not quite sure what that is. If there is such a thing in my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-like-the-concept-of-an-anti-muse-though-i-m-not-quite-sure-what/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [ I really think \[William\] Burroughs was onto something here, when he said, "Dreams are a biologic necessity and your lifeline into space." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-really-think-william-burroughs-was-onto-something-here-when-he-said/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [ \[My muse\] is, in fact, a woman of the world, and precisely because of this, hopes that a diversity of cultures will endure, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/my-muse-is-in-fact-a-woman-of-the-world-and-precisely-because-of-this/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [I do have a muse. I am not sure how to describe her. She can be very elusive. She was born in England but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-do-have-a-muse-i-am-not-sure-how-to-describe-her-she-can-be-very/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) [Explore all 115 Quentin S. Crisp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) ## More Horror-fiction quotes > [“Teacher's pet Teacher's pet.. Your feeling so perplexed... Your friend has gone into pieces and you'll be next...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-tankersley-cusick/teacher-s-pet-teacher-s-pet-your-feeling-so-perplexed-your-friend-has/) [Richie Tankersley Cusick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-tankersley-cusick/) > [“Oh so we are neighbours?” She tried to smile sweetly, so Maggie felt like she could talk more. Maggie shrugged again, “Not for long.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sian-b-claven/oh-so-we-are-neighbours-she-tried-to-smile-sweetly-so-maggie-felt/) [Sian B. Claven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sian-b-claven/) > [“Some people just can’t grasp how powerless they are. I like the spirited ones. Most of the time you hateful creatures throw yourselves into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mackillican/some-people-just-can-t-grasp-how-powerless-they-are-i-like-the/) [Daniel MacKillican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mackillican/) > [“In a world where we know so much about the world, we need monsters. Monsters bring some much needed mystery back into the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-newman/in-a-world-where-we-know-so-much-about-the-world-we-need-monsters/) [Scott Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-newman/) > [“In the illusion of delusion, between madness and lawlessness I exist. I dream about dreams, about illusions and disillusions and cold and madness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-lemus/in-the-illusion-of-delusion-between-madness-and-lawlessness-i-exist-i/) [E.C. Lemus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-lemus/) > [“When looking for a job, ignore (don't even bother with them) those companies who expect you to literally do everything for them and also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mentillo/when-looking-for-a-job-ignore-don-t-even-bother-with-them-those/) [Chris Mentillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mentillo/) > [“Horror is the only genre where you don't have to explain everything. Things happen just because and that alone makes it scary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-horn/horror-is-the-only-genre-where-you-don-t-have-to-explain-everything/) [R.A. Horn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-horn/) > [“Would death be like that: Endless liquid silence?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cutter/would-death-be-like-that-endless-liquid-silence/) [Nick Cutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cutter/) > [“That's why Quincy's Sweets exists.  When I graduated college with a marketing degree and moved to New York, I still thought of myself as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-sager/that-s-why-quincy-s-sweets-exists-when-i-graduated-college-with-a/) [Riley Sager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riley-sager/) > [“Time is tick, tick, ticking away. How many souls will I capture today? Will they be a challenge or will they be given? Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/time-is-tick-tick-ticking-away-how-many-souls-will-i-capture-today/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [“The image is an example of how horror writers view our world. A view that is far from the norm. Their writing always seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/the-image-is-an-example-of-how-horror-writers-view-our-world-a-view/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [“Drifting on the black, rippling surface were fingers. Thumbs. Dozens of them. Hundreds, floating like dead fish in a dynamited pond. I saw part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-hirshberg/drifting-on-the-black-rippling-surface-were-fingers-thumbs-dozens-of/) [Glen Hirshberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-hirshberg/) > [“I’m haunted. We all are, I guess. We’re parentless, friendless, unloved, abandoned. The spirits of our deceased emotional anchors and proofs of existence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-s-hornsby/i-m-haunted-we-all-are-i-guess-we-re-parentless-friendless-unloved/) [Jason S. Hornsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-s-hornsby/) > [“There are many dark corners in the many universes. Don't continue on if you are afraid to explore the dark, brutal and absurd”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-agranoff/there-are-many-dark-corners-in-the-many-universes-don-t-continue-on/) [David Agranoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-agranoff/) > [“Fear is essential in horror fiction. Gore is optional.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayne-hall/fear-is-essential-in-horror-fiction-gore-is-optional/) [Rayne Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rayne-hall/) [Browse all 41 Horror-fiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-fiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There can be no such thing as “philosophical horror”, at least as a premeditated genre. Why? Because philosophy implies enquiry, reflection and an open mind, whereas the genre of horror demands certain conclusions in advance.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Quentin S. 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