--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole philosophy of modern times is…" description: "\"The whole philosophy of modern times is to dissolve distinctions between individuals and deal with them as large collections of people. It's essentiall..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/tom-stoppard-437_authority_the-whole-philosophy-of-modern-times-is_2793882.png" --- # The whole philosophy of modern times is to dissolve… ![“The whole philosophy of modern times is to dissolve distinctions between individuals and deal with them as large collections of people. It's essentially self-interested on the part of authority.” quote by Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/tom-stoppard-437_authority_the-whole-philosophy-of-modern-times-is_2793882.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/tom-stoppard-437_authority_the-whole-philosophy-of-modern-times-is_2793882.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/tom-stoppard-437_authority_the-whole-philosophy-of-modern-times-is_2793882.png) > “The whole philosophy of modern times is to dissolve distinctions between individuals and deal with them as large collections of people. It's essentially self-interested on the part of authority.” [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern societies tend to treat people as statistics rather than individuals, serving the interests of those in power. **In simple terms:** Society often ignores personal differences for collective control. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect individual identities. Themes individualism power society ethics Mood critical reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - urban planning - education - workplace management Key Concepts collectivism authority dehumanization Questions to Reflect On - How does treating people as numbers affect trust? - What safeguards protect individual rights? A Different Perspective Overlooks personal agency and can lead to oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Collections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collections/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction/) [Distinctions Individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinctions-individuals-3399547/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-times/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Essentially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-essentially-2123920/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-modern-3399546/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [The pretended physical philosophy of modern days strips Man of all his moral attributes, or holds them of no account in the estimate of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sedgwick/the-pretended-physical-philosophy-of-modern-days-strips-man-of-all/) [Adam Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sedgwick/) > [“The present importance of the Book of Job cannot be expressed adequately even by saying that it is the most interesting of ancient books.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-present-importance-of-the-book-of-job-cannot-be-expressed/) [G.K. 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But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. 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For every thousand people there's nine hundred doing the work, ninety doing well, nine doing good, and one lucky bastard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/what-is-an-artist-for-every-thousand-people-there-s-nine-hundred/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Dying is not romantic, and death is not a game which will soon be over... Death is not anything... death is not... It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/dying-is-not-romantic-and-death-is-not-a-game-which-will-soon-be-over/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I'm not interested in clothes; I just like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/i-m-not-interested-in-clothes-i-just-like-them/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [For 10 years of my life, 3 times a day, I thanked the Lord for what I was about to receive and thanked him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/for-10-years-of-my-life-3-times-a-day-i-thanked-the-lord-for-what-i/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [You should not translate for more than two hours at a time. After that, you lose your edge, the language becomes clumsy, rigid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/you-should-not-translate-for-more-than-two-hours-at-a-time-after-that/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [No matter how imperfect things are, if you've got a free press everything is correctable, and without it everything is concealable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/no-matter-how-imperfect-things-are-if-you-ve-got-a-free-press/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mortality-before-we-know-the/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Eternity's a terrible thought. I mean, where's it all going to end?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/eternity-s-a-terrible-thought-i-mean-where-s-it-all-going-to-end/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [There is truth and falsehood in a comma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/there-is-truth-and-falsehood-in-a-comma/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) [Explore all 559 Tom Stoppard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. 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