In like manner, if I let myself believe anything on insufficient evidence, there may be no great harm done by the mere belief; it may be true after all, or I may never have occasion to exhibit it in outward acts. But I cannot help doing this great wrong towards Man, that I make myself credulous. The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery.

~ William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford Actions Belief Credulity Danger Evidence Harm Inquiry Savagery Society True

It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.

~ William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford Belief Evidence Reason Wrong

Every time we let ourselves believe for unworthy reasons, we weaken our powers of self-control, of doubting, of judicially and fairly weighing evidence. We all suffer severely enough from the maintenance and support of false beliefs and the fatally wrong actions which they lead to, and the evil born when one such belief is entertained is great and wide.

~ William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford Belief Doubt Evidence Self Control

The aim of scientific thought, then, is to apply past experience to new circumstances; the instrument is an observed uniformity in the course of events. By the use of this instrument it gives us information transcending our experience, it enables us to infer things that we have not seen from things that we have seen; and the evidence for the truth of that information depends on our supposing that the uniformity holds good beyond our experience.

~ William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford Aim Events Evidence Experience Inference Information Instrument Past Science Scientific Scientific Thought Transcending Truth Uniformitarianism Uniformity

Remember that [scientific thought] is the guide of action; that the truth which it arrives at is not that which we can ideally contemplate without error, but that which we may act upon without fear; and you cannot fail to see that scientific thought is not an accompaniment or condition of human progress, but human progress itself.

~ William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford Action Error Fear Guide Human Progress Progress Science Scientific Scientific Thought Truth

… scientific thought does not mean thought about scientific subjects with long names. There are no scientific subjects. The subject of science is the human universe; that is to say, everything that is, or has been, or may be related to man.

~ William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford Everything Relation Science Scientific Scientific Thought Subjects Thought Universe

If I steal money from any person, there may be no harm done from the mere transfer of possession; he may not feel the loss, or it may prevent him from using the money badly. But I cannot help doing this great wrong towards Man, that I make myself dishonest.

~ William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford Myself Great Man

The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery.

~ William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford Great Believe Testing