Contention Quote by Carl Sagan
“The well-meaning contention that all ideas have equal merit seems to me little different from the disastrous contention that no ideas have any merit.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Cosmos, Carl Sagan, 1980
Equating all ideas as equally valid is as harmful as dismissing every idea as worthless.
In simple terms: Treating ideas equally can be dangerous.
Key Takeaway
Critically evaluate ideas, not just assume equality.
Themes
critical thinking
valuation
ideas
philosophy
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- policy making
- media analysis
- personal decision making
Key Concepts
epistemology
bias
truth
discernment
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you distinguish valuable ideas?
- When is it okay to give all ideas equal weight?
A Different Perspective
Equating all ideas can ignore nuance and context.
![“A critical assumption is sometimes made that [Grisham, Clancey, Crichton & myself] have access to some mystical vulgate that other (and often better) writers cannot find or will not deign to use. I doubt if this is true. Nor do I believe the contention of some popular novelists... that thier…” quote by Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/343/stephen-king-13_assumption_a-critical-assumption-is-sometimes-made_746467.jpg)
![“[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion, why do you not believe in materialistic science, which has an unparalleled record of fulfilled prophecy? Consider, for example, eclipses.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/875/carl-sagan-160_belief_when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-a_25095.jpg)
