Business Quote by Bertrand Russell
“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This is, of course, a mistake.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Why I Am Not a Christian, Bertrand Russell, 1927
People mistakenly think skeptics must debunk dogma, but it's the dogmatists' duty to prove it.
In simple terms: Skeptics aren't required to disprove beliefs; dogmatists must justify them.
Key Takeaway
Challenge unexamined doctrines.
Themes
skepticism
philosophy
critical thinking
Mood
inquisitive
analytical
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- public discourse
- science policy
- education reform
Key Concepts
epistemology
burden of proof
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do skeptics have in discourse?
- How can societies encourage evidence‑based belief?
A Different Perspective
Proving a claim can be harder than disproving it, leading to stalemates.
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
