Philosophy secularizes the ideal. But tyrants appear who soon secularize the philosophies that give them the right to do so.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Philosophy makes ideals worldly, but dictators twist those philosophies to justify their power.
- In plain terms
- Ideals become practical, but rulers misuse them to legitimize control.
- What can you take from it?
- Be wary of ideologies used to justify oppression.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do ideologies become tools of oppression?
- Can philosophy remain neutral?
Another view
Not all philosophers enable tyranny.
More from Albert Camus
Our most effective terrorists, whether they are armed with bombs or with poetry, hardly escape from infancy.
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