Kant Quote by W. Somerset Maugham
“Kant thought things, not because they were true, but because he was Kant.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Unconsoled", 1945
Kant's ideas are accepted more for his authority than their truth.
In simple terms: Ideas are followed because of the source, not evidence.
Key Takeaway
Question authority, seek evidence.
Themes
authority
philosophy
critical thinking
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- political discourse
- media consumption
Key Concepts
epistemology
social influence
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you accept ideas because of who says them?
- How can you test the truth of a claim?
A Different Perspective
Authority can be persuasive even when evidence is lacking.
![“[Dostoyevsky] eloquently proves that heartless ideas are often a source of immorality: they bring with them destructiveness, hatred, cynicism, and misanthropy. The novelist also carefully examines moral indifference and corruption which leads him to the questions: “What if reason takes the side of…” quote by George L. Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c87/george-l-kline-239544_dostoevsky_dostoyevsky-eloquently-proves-that-heart_53378.jpg)
