In religion and politics, on the contrary, though there is…
““In religion and politics, on the contrary, though there is as yet nothing approaching scientific knowledge, everybody considers it de rigueur to have a dogmatic opinion, to be backed up by inflicting starvation, prison, and war, and to be carefully guarded from argumentative competition with any different opinion. If only men could be brought into a tentatively agnostic frame of mind about these matters, nine-tenths of the evils of the modern world would be cured.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Dogmatic beliefs in religion and politics cause suffering; open, tentative agnosticism could reduce many modern evils.
In simple terms: Blind certainty leads to harm; questioning reduces conflict.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate critical, and humility.
Themes
politics
religion
dogma
conflict
Mood
reflective
critical
hopeful
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- public debate
- policy making
- education
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
skepticism
agnosticism
humanism
Questions to Reflect On
- What would a society look like without dogmatic certainty?
- How can we encourage open dialogue?
A Different Perspective
Changing deep‑seated beliefs is difficult and may meet resistance.