The savage bows down to idols of wood and stone: the civilized man to idols of flesh and blood.

Summary

This quote suggests that both the savage and the civilized person have their own forms of idolatry. While the savage may worship physical idols made of wood and stone, the so-called civilized individual may instead idolize other people, placing them on pedestals and investing them with an unyielding reverence. In deifying fellow human beings, the civilized individual is believed to prioritize the flaws and desires of flesh and blood over other spiritual or philosophical pursuits, possibly limiting their own growth and understanding of the world.

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