The Polanyi Society | Tradition & Discovery The downfall of liberty which in every case followed the success of these attacks demonstrates in hard facts what we said before that freedom of thought is rendered pointless and must disappear wherever reason and morality are deprived of their status as a force in their own right. Michael Polanyi Meaning As human beings we must inevitably see the universe from a centre lying within ourselves and speak about it in terms of a human language shaped by the exigencies of human intercourse. Any attempt rigorously to eliminate our human perspective from our picture of the world must lead to absurdity. Michael Polanyi Personal Knowledge Towards a Postcritical Philosophy Sartre puts it value arises simply from our choices.