Accepted Quote by Carl Eckart
“But this same process of the old teaching the young can also cause errors and false conclusions to accumulate with the passage of time. One should therefore study ancient writings, not so much in the hope of finding lost wisdom as in the hope of locating the origin of errors that have been, and still are, accepted truths.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Unknown, likely early 20th‑century philosophical writing
Studying ancient texts helps identify long‑standing errors that have become accepted truths.
In simple terms: Old writings reveal hidden mistakes.
Key Takeaway
Question and trace the roots of accepted ideas.
Themes
critical thinking
history
error detection
Mood
inquisitive
skeptical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- policy making
- education reform
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
epistemology
scholarly inquiry
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions have you inherited unexamined?
- How can you test their validity?
A Different Perspective
Ancient errors may be context‑specific and not always relevant today.
![“Only the learned read old books, and... now... they are of all men the least likely to acquire wisdom by doing so. ...[G]reat scholars are now as little nourished by the past as the most ignorant mechanic who holds that "history is bunk..." [for] ...when a learned man is presented with any…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fa7/c-s-lewis-121_books_only-the-learned-read-old-books-and-now_2310974.jpg)
![“We have reached a situation where a theory has been accepted as fact by some, and possible contrary evidence is shunted aside. [This is] mythology rather than science.” quote by Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c31/robert-shapiro-26969_accepted_we-have-reached-a-situation-where-a-theo_19120.jpg)
