Celebration is a confrontation, giving attention to the transcendent meaning of one's actions.
Abraham Joshua HeschelRead
The worship of reason is arrogance and betrays a lack of intelligence. The rejection of reason is cowardice and betrays a lack of faith.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that both over-reliance on reason and dismissing it can indicate flaws in character.
Abraham Joshua Heschel highlights the dangers of extreme attitudes toward reason. He argues that worshiping reason alone reflects arrogance and undermines wisdom, while completely rejecting reason signifies cowardice and a weakness of faith. This duality points to a balanced approach to understanding the world, where both reason and faith coexist without overshadowing one another.
Themes
ReasonFaithArroganceCowardiceIntelligence
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on philosophy, you might use this quote to emphasize the importance of balance in reasoning and faith.
More from Abraham Joshua Heschel
All quotes βNormal consciousness is a state of stupor, in which the sensibility to the wholly real and responsiveness to the stimuli of the spirit are reduced. The mystics, knowing that man is involved in a hidden history of the cosmos, endeavor to awake from the drowsiness and apathy and to regain the state of wakefulness for their enchanted souls.
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Prayer cannot bring water to parched fields, or mend a broken bridge, or rebuild a ruined city; but prayer can water an arid soul, mend a broken heart, and rebuild a weakened will.
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We worship God through our questions.
Abraham Joshua HeschelRead
When religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion, its message becomes meaningless.
Abraham Joshua HeschelRead
The true meaning of existence is disclosed in moments of living in the presence of God
Abraham Joshua HeschelRead
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