Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.
Winston ChurchillRead
This mindless tolerance, which places observable scientific facts, subject to proof, on the same level as unprovable supernatural fantasy, has played a major role in the resurgence of both anti-intellectualism and anti-rationalism.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes the equal treatment of science and unprovable beliefs, warning against the dangers of anti-intellectualism.
Susan Jacoby argues that the indiscriminate acceptance of both scientific facts and unverified supernatural beliefs undermines rational thought and contributes to a growing culture of anti-intellectualism. By placing these two fundamentally different ways of understanding the world on the same plane, we risk fostering ignorance and rejection of reasoned evidence, which can have serious implications for society's progression.
Themes
ToleranceScienceSupernaturalIntellectualismAnti-Rationalism
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a lecture on the importance of scientific literacy.
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