I wish to propose for the reader's favourable…
“I wish to propose for the reader's favourable consideration a doctrine which may, I fear, appear wildly paradoxical and subversive. The doctrine in question is this: that it is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The author warns against believing statements without any evidence, calling such belief undesirable and potentially harmful.
In simple terms: Don’t believe without evidence.
Seek evidence before believing.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic research
- daily news consumption
- personal decisions
- legal judgments
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify the truth of a claim?
- What are the risks of ungrounded belief?
Belief without evidence can lead to misinformation and poor choices.