Accidents Quote by Alice Hegan Rice
“No teaching that is not based on reason can be tolerated by critical minds, but the belief that an accident of blind force produces this highly organized world is far more fantastic than the theory that a Super Intelligence devised its ordered evolution.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Philosophy of Science, 1902
Reasoned teaching is essential, yet attributing complex order to random forces is less plausible than a purposeful intelligence guiding evolution.
In simple terms: Reason matters; random chaos seems unlikely.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about randomness.
Themes
philosophy
science
reason
Mood
inquisitive
skeptical
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- education
- scientific debate
- worldview formation
Key Concepts
teleology
determinism
intelligence
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence supports a purposeful design?
- How do we balance reason with mystery?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on a single cause can ignore nuanced explanations.
![“[Decoding the human genome sequence] is the most significant undertaking that we have mounted so far in an organized way in all of science. I believe that reading our blueprints, cataloguing our own instruction book, will be judged by history as more significant than even splitting the atom or…” quote by Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c6/francis-collins-5281_atoms_decoding-the-human-genome-sequence-is-th_15604.jpg)
![“[As in the case of] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not work.” quote by Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/212/sam-branson-36458_alcohol_as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-il_8703.jpg)
![“Organized religion has a part in the evolution of personal religion. It is the material upon which personal religion is grafted, but the process of grafting must be individual. Every human soul must, through thought, prayer, and study, cultivate his [sic] own religion to suit himself.” quote by Lily Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7f3/lily-montagu-82141_evolution_organized-religion-has-a-part-in-the-evo_7761.jpg)
