--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is now generally admitted, at any rate…" description: "\"“It is now generally admitted, at any rate by philosophers, that the existence of a being having the attributes which define the god of any non-animist..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/alfred-jules-ayer-88219_animism_it-is-now-generally-admitted-at-any-rate_1668276.jpg" --- # It is now generally admitted, at any rate by philosophers… ![“It is now generally admitted, at any rate by philosophers, that the existence of a being having the attributes which define the god of any non-animistic religion cannot be demonstratively proved... [A]ll utterances about the nature of God are nonsensical.” quote by Alfred Jules Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/alfred-jules-ayer-88219_animism_it-is-now-generally-admitted-at-any-rate_1668276.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/alfred-jules-ayer-88219_animism_it-is-now-generally-admitted-at-any-rate_1668276.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/alfred-jules-ayer-88219_animism_it-is-now-generally-admitted-at-any-rate_1668276.jpg) > ““It is now generally admitted, at any rate by philosophers, that the existence of a being having the attributes which define the god of any non-animistic religion cannot be demonstratively proved... \[A\]ll utterances about the nature of God are nonsensical.”” Alfred Jules Ayer ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophers agree that God's existence cannot be proven, making statements about divine nature meaningless. **In simple terms:** God cannot be proven, so talk about Him is nonsense. Key Takeaway Accept limits of proof regarding deity. Themes philosophy theology epistemology Mood skeptical analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - academic debate - religious discourse - skepticism Key Concepts falsifiability logical positivism Questions to Reflect On - Is proof the only way to discuss God? - Can faith be meaningful without proof? A Different Perspective Some may argue personal experience offers evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animism/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Monotheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monotheism/) [Nature Of God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-god/) [Philosophers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Scientific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific/) ## Related quotes > [If the assertion that there is a god is nonsensical, then the atheist's assertion that there is no god is equally nonsensical, since it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-ayer/if-the-assertion-that-there-is-a-god-is-nonsensical-then-the-atheist/) [A.J. Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-ayer/) > [“Religion, by its very nature as an untestable belief in undetectable beings and an unknowable afterlife, disables our reality checks. It ends the conversation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-christina/religion-by-its-very-nature-as-an-untestable-belief-in-undetectable/) [Greta Christina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-christina/) > [From the dawn of exact knowledge to the present day, observation, experiment, and speculation have gone hand in hand; and, whenever science has halted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/from-the-dawn-of-exact-knowledge-to-the-present-day-observation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we take science as our sole guide, if we accept and hold fast that alone which is verifiable, the old theology must go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/if-we-take-science-as-our-sole-guide-if-we-accept-and-hold-fast-that/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [It should go without saying, of course, that anything a journalist writes about any person, public or private, must have a verifiable basis in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/it-should-go-without-saying-of-course-that-anything-a-journalist/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) > [Truth is verifiable only by identity with it and not by knowing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hawkins/truth-is-verifiable-only-by-identity-with-it-and-not-by-knowing-about/) [David Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hawkins/) > [“The amount of respect any idea deserves is revealed by the verifiable facts it contains.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-a-a-savastano/the-amount-of-respect-any-idea-deserves-is-revealed-by-the-verifiable/) [C.A.A. Savastano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-a-a-savastano/) > [“Methodological naturalism is a “ground rule” of science today which requires scientists to seek explanations in the world around us based upon what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-pennock/methodological-naturalism-is-a-ground-rule-of-science-today-which/) Robert T. Pennock > [“But anyone who is practically acquainted with scientific work is aware that those who refuse to go beyond fact, rarely get as far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-henry-huxley/but-anyone-who-is-practically-acquainted-with-scientific-work-is/) [Thomas Henry Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-henry-huxley/) > [“Gross well says that children are young because they play, and not vice versa; and he might have added, men grow old because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/gross-well-says-that-children-are-young-because-they-play-and-not/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) ## More by Alfred Jules Ayer > [“...His argument, as set out in The Problems of Philosophy, was based on the empirical fact that we are not only aware of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-jules-ayer/his-argument-as-set-out-in-the-problems-of-philosophy-was-based-on/) Alfred Jules Ayer > [“... when one buys a pair of shoes, one is buying three things, the right shoe, the left shoe and the pair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-jules-ayer/when-one-buys-a-pair-of-shoes-one-is-buying-three-things-the-right/) Alfred Jules Ayer Explore all 3 Alfred Jules Ayer quotes ## More Animism quotes > [“People forget that humans are animals too, that we're just as much a part of the wild places as the things that live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-h-o-neil-2/people-forget-that-humans-are-animals-too-that-we-re-just-as-much-a/) Vincent H. O Neil > [“...our philosophy has preserved essential traits of animistic modes of thought such as the over-estimation of the magic of words and the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/our-philosophy-has-preserved-essential-traits-of-animistic-modes-of/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Increasing numbers of Pagans are identifying themselves as animists or naming their worldview as animism. Some Pagans use the term animism to refer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-harvey/increasing-numbers-of-pagans-are-identifying-themselves-as-animists/) [Graham Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-harvey/) > [“The reality is, it takes daily cultivation of a spiritual path, preferably with spiritual kin in proximity, to sustain not the feeling of elation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/the-reality-is-it-takes-daily-cultivation-of-a-spiritual-path/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“But this is not to say that a highly specialized body of belief such as that associated with Faerie is not capable of subsidiary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-spence/but-this-is-not-to-say-that-a-highly-specialized-body-of-belief-such/) [Lewis Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-spence/) > [Animism is not a belief system, but a worldview: The world is a sacred place and we are part of it. The factuality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/animism-is-not-a-belief-system-but-a-worldview-the-world-is-a-sacred/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“In the end, bless the darkness, hold the light, because the two aren't divisible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/in-the-end-bless-the-darkness-hold-the-light-because-the-two-aren-t/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“All Things are in constant relationship, and shamanic journey is the choice to put one’s self in direct contact and concert with that relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/all-things-are-in-constant-relationship-and-shamanic-journey-is-the/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“It is a well known fact that even among highly cultured peoples the belief in animism prevails generally. Even the scholar may kick the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-estil-cunningham/it-is-a-well-known-fact-that-even-among-highly-cultured-peoples-the/) [Holly Estil Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-estil-cunningham/) > [“We are the most open-feeling that we can be, when we can no longer be as we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/we-are-the-most-open-feeling-that-we-can-be-when-we-can-no-longer-be/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“The demons of animism were usually hostile to man, but it seems as though man had more confidence in himself in those days than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-demons-of-animism-were-usually-hostile-to-man-but-it-seems-as/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [“Zeena Schreck is a Berlin-based interdisciplinary artist, author, musician/composer, tantric teacher, mystic, animal rights activist, and counter-culture icon known by her mononymous artist name,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/zeena-schreck-is-a-berlin-based-interdisciplinary-artist-author/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [“There are Tantrics who deliberately seek to do more active forms of renunciation, so transgression of social norms and breaking of taboo, and breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/there-are-tantrics-who-deliberately-seek-to-do-more-active-forms-of/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [“Children arrive animists. They learn about life, themselves, and empathy by imagining the liveliness of everything they come into contact with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/children-arrive-animists-they-learn-about-life-themselves-and-empathy/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [“All the major world religions (always excluding animism, of course), are founded on these notions: that man and man alone was the desired object…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/all-the-major-world-religions-always-excluding-animism-of-course-are/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) [Browse all 41 Animism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is now generally admitted, at any rate by philosophers, that the existence of a being having the attributes which define the god of any non-animistic religion cannot be demonstratively proved... 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