--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A philosophy can and must be worked out…" description: "\"A philosophy can and must be worked out with the greatest rigour and discipline in the details, but can ultimately be founded on nothing but faith: and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/t-s-eliot-633_details_a-philosophy-can-and-must-be-worked-out_1475605.png" --- # A philosophy can and must be worked out with the greatest… ![“A philosophy can and must be worked out with the greatest rigour and discipline in the details, but can ultimately be founded on nothing but faith: and this is the reason, I suspect, why the novelties in philosophy are only in elaboration, and never in fundamentals.” quote by T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/t-s-eliot-633_details_a-philosophy-can-and-must-be-worked-out_1475605.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/t-s-eliot-633_details_a-philosophy-can-and-must-be-worked-out_1475605.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/t-s-eliot-633_details_a-philosophy-can-and-must-be-worked-out_1475605.png) > “A philosophy can and must be worked out with the greatest rigour and discipline in the details, but can ultimately be founded on nothing but faith: and this is the reason, I suspect, why the novelties in philosophy are only in elaboration, and never in fundamentals.” [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) ## 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 rigorous detail but ultimately rests on faith, limiting true innovation. **In simple terms:** Rigour meets faith, limiting novelty. Key Takeaway Balance rigor with openness to new foundations. Themes philosophy rigor faith Mood thoughtful analytical Type theoretical critical When to use this quote - academic research - personal belief systems - teaching philosophy Key Concepts epistemology foundations innovation Questions to Reflect On - Can faith coexist with empirical inquiry? - What foundational assumptions are unexamined? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on detail can stifle creative breakthroughs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Novelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelty/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Rigour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rigour/) ## Related quotes > [The historic glory of America lies in the fact that it is the one nation that was founded like a church. 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