Action and faith enslave thought, both of them in order not be troubled or inconvenienced by reflection, criticism, and doubt.

Henri-Frédéric Amiel (1821–1881), the Swiss moralist and professor at Geneva, is best known for the posthumously published Journal intime (Intimate Journal), a long sequence of diary reflections marked by self-scrutiny, religious anxiety, and philosophical skepticism. The sentiment in this quotation fits Amiel’s recurring concern that people often prefer the security of dogma or the momentum of practical activity to the discomfort of sustained introspection. In the intellectual climate of the mid-19th century—when traditional faith was being challenged by modern criticism—Amiel frequently analyzed how belief and busyness can function psychologically as defenses against uncertainty and the demands of critical thought.

Amiel suggests that both “action” and “faith” can become instruments that bind or silence the mind. Acting decisively and believing firmly may feel liberating, but they can also serve as ways to avoid the inner labor of reflection—questioning motives, examining evidence, and tolerating doubt. The quote is less an attack on action or faith as such than a warning about their misuse: when they are adopted to escape criticism and uncertainty, thought becomes “enslaved,” reduced to justification rather than inquiry. Amiel’s broader moral psychology emphasizes the cost of this avoidance: intellectual honesty and self-knowledge require enduring discomfort, ambiguity, and the possibility of being wrong.