The thing that really is trying to tyrannize through…
““The thing that really is trying to tyrannize through government is Science. The thing that really does use the secular arm is Science. And the creed that really is levying tithes and capturing schools, the creed that really is enforced by fine and imprisonment, the creed that really is proclaimed not in sermons but in statues, and spread not by pilgrims but by policemen—that creed is the great but disputed system of thought which began with Evolution and has ended in Eugenics. Materialism is really our established Church; for the government will really help it to persecute its heretics…I am not frightened of the word ‘persecution’…It is a term of legal fact. If it means the imposition by the police of a widely disputed theory, incapable of final proof—then our priests are not now persecuting, but our doctors are.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Science is portrayed as a modern creed, wielding power like a church, yet its authority is contested and can be oppressive.
In simple terms: Science acts like a powerful, disputed belief system.
Key Takeaway
Question scientific authority.
Themes
science
authority
religion
ethics
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- education reform
- public health initiatives
Key Concepts
philosophy
politics
history
Questions to Reflect On
- How should society regulate scientific claims?
- What safeguards protect against misuse?
A Different Perspective
Science can be misused without ethical checks.