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Every false philosophy is an imagination of a world propitious to irrational demands and unregulated desires. The false philosopher's dream infects someone in closer touch than himself with everyday experience, this agent of his desire seeks to translate the dream into reality, and disaster follows. It is the Cinderella story in actual life. Rousseau was Robespierre's fairy godmother, Karl Marx was Lenin's, Nietzsche was Hitler's.

Hugh Kingsmill#7

PhilosophyDisasterHistoryIdeologyReality

About this quote

What does it mean?
False philosophies imagining worlds without limits often lead to real-world disasters when tried.
In plain terms
Ideas that ignore reality often cause disaster when implemented.
What can you take from it?
Ideologies ignoring real limits lead to catastrophic outcomes.

Where it applies

  • critiquing political ideologies
  • analyzing historical disasters
  • discussing philosophy

Putting it to work

  • analyzing ideology impacts
  • rejecting utopian dreams

Questions to consider

  • Can ideology cause disaster?
  • How do we test ideas against reality?

Another view

It simplifies complex historical events to single ideological roots.

More from Hugh Kingsmill

  1. Most of the avoidable suffering in life springs from our attempts to escape the unavoidable suffering inherent in the fragmentary nature of our present existen…

    Permalink to quote #6
  2. There are dons who care for the intellect and the imagination, and there are priests who care for the spirit; but broadly speaking the function of universities…

    Permalink to quote #8
  3. Society is based on the assumption that everyone is alike and that no one is alive.

    Permalink to quote #5

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