There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
Science, as everyone knows, is responsible, moderate, unsentimental, and otherwise good.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science embodies objectivity and rationality in understanding the world.
In this quote, Noam Chomsky emphasizes the values of science, which include responsibility, moderation, and a lack of sentimentality. He suggests that these traits are essential for scientific inquiry, which allows for a clear and unbiased understanding of reality, and that such qualities contribute positively to society.
Themes
ScienceObjectivityRationalityInquiryTruth
In practice
Example use cases
During a public lecture on the importance of evidence-based decision making, one could use this quote to emphasize the attributes of science.
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If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are.
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There are very few people who are going to look into the mirror and say, 'That person I see is a savage monster;' instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do.
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The Republican Party has become overwhelmingly so extreme that it's hardly a traditional political party anymore.
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There is still much debate about whether torture has been effective in eliciting information - the assumption being, apparently, that if it is effective, then it may be justified.
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The scientist, by the very nature of his commitment, creates more and more questions, never fewer. Indeed the measure of our intellectual maturity, one philosopher suggests, is our capacity to feel less and less satisfied with our answers to better problems.
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At lunch Francis [Crick] winged into the Eagle to tell everyone within hearing distance that we had found the secret of life.
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It is possible in medicine, even when you intend to do good, to do harm instead. That is why science thrives on actively encouraging criticism rather than stifling it.
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For Dawkins, evolution is a battle among genes, each seeking to make more copies of itself. Bodies are merely the places where genes aggregate for a time.
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