Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
'In his celebrated book, 'On Liberty', the English philosopher John Stuart Mill argued that silencing an opinion is "a peculiar evil." If the opinion is right, we are robbed of the "opportunity of exchanging error for truth"; and if it's wrong, we are deprived of a deeper understanding of the truth in its "collision with error." If we know only our own side of the argument, we hardly know even that: it becomes stale, soon learned by rote, untested, a pallid and lifeless truth.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of open discourse and the exchange of differing opinions for a deeper understanding of truth.
Carl Sagan highlights John Stuart Mill's argument against silencing opinions, stating that both the right and wrong views contribute to our grasp of truth. Without engaging with opposing perspectives, individuals risk clinging to uninformed and stagnant beliefs, missing out on the richness that comes from questioning and debating ideas.
Themes
TruthOpinionDebateUnderstandingKnowledgeSilencing
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on free speech, you might use this quote to highlight the importance of discussing controversial topics.
More from Carl Sagan
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The hole in the ozone layer is a kind of skywriting. At first it seemed to spell out our continuing complacency before a witch's brew of deadly perils. But perhaps it really tells of a newfound talent to work together to protect the global environment.
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There is a reward structure in science that is very interesting: Our highest honors go to those who disprove the findings of the most revered among us. So Einstein is revered not just because he made so many fundamental contributions to science, but because he found an imperfection in the fundamental contribution of Isaac Newton.
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The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
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