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
A man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling it would rather be a man who plunges into scientific questions with which he has no real acquaintance, only to obscure them by an aimless rhetoric.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Embracing our origins is more admirable than pretending to understand complex topics without true knowledge.
In this quote, Thomas Huxley emphasizes that one should not feel ashamed of their origins, regardless of how primitive they may seem, such as having an ape as an ancestor. Instead, he criticizes those who engage in discussions about scientific matters without a genuine understanding, as their misguided rhetoric can mislead others and detract from the pursuit of true knowledge.
Themes
ScienceKnowledgeIgnoranceOriginsRhetoricTruth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a lecture about the importance of understanding our scientific origins.
More from Thomas Huxley
All quotes →The 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.
Thomas HuxleyRead
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.
Thomas HuxleyRead
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