It is wrong for a man to say that he is certain of the objective truth of any proposition unless he can produce evidence which logically justifies that certainty.
Thomas HuxleyRead
No mistake is so commonly made by clever people as that of assuming a cause to be bad because the arguments of its supporters are, to a great extent, nonsensical
Interpretation
What this quote means
Clever individuals often dismiss a cause when its proponents present weak arguments.
This quote by Thomas Huxley emphasizes the importance of evaluating a cause based on its intrinsic merits rather than solely on the quality of the arguments made by its supporters. It warns against the fallacy of rejecting valid ideas because their advocates may lack reasoning or clarity, encouraging critical thinking and discernment in discussions about various issues.
Themes
ReasoningArgumentsJudgmentPerceptionCritical Thinking
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about climate change, one might use this quote to suggest that poor arguments from climate change skeptics should not invalidate the actual scientific consensus.
More from Thomas Huxley
All quotes βThe child who has been taught to make an accurate elevation, plan, and section of a pint pot has had an admirable training in accuracy of eye and hand.
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Let us have "sweet girl graduates" by all means. They will be none the less sweet for a little wisdom; and the "golden hair" will not curl less gracefully outside the head by reason of there being brains within.
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The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of childhood into maturity.
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It is the first duty of a hypothesis to be intelligible.
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Of the few innocent pleasures left to men past middle life, the jamming of common sense down the throats of fools is perhaps the keenest.
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