This chapter argues that "idea-ism" is as conspicuous in empiricists as rationalists, in Analytical Philosophy as in anti-domination philosophies, in Husserl as well as Heidegger. It, in turn, shores up an "ideao-cratic" form of politics which occludes so much about reality, human feeling, culture, and historicity. By contrast the kind of thinking which saw that the value of philosophy was not primarily in providing models or unassailable first principles, but in assisting with the organization of perceptions and insights preserved in language, culture, tradition, and accessible through dialogue and translation, provides a far more developmental, non-elitist, and humble approach to truth. This approach was pioneered by Hamann and his student and friend Herder, and further developed in the twentieth century by Rosenzweig, and Rosenstock-Huessy. It remains the path less philosophically taken. This chapter provides an account of these two contrasting ways of doing philosophy.