Belief Quote by Charles Babbage
“There is nothing in the nature of a miracle that should render it incredible:;: its credibility depends upon the nature of the evidence by which it is supported. An event of extreme probability will not necessarily command our belief unless upon a sufficiency of proof; and so an event which we may regard as highly improbable may command our belief if it is sustained by sufficient evidence. So that the credibility or incredibility of an event does not rest upon the nature of the event itself, but depends upon the nature and sufficiency of the proof which sustains it.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Reflections on the Nature of Science, 1846
Credibility of an event depends on the quality and amount of evidence, not on how miraculous it appears.
In simple terms: Evidence, not wonder, determines belief.
Key Takeaway
Seek strong proof before accepting extraordinary claims.
Themes
evidence
critical thinking
belief
miracles
Mood
analytical
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- legal trials
- medical diagnosis
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
epistemology
probability
proof
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence would change your view on a seemingly impossible event?
- How do you balance skepticism with openness?
A Different Perspective
Extraordinary claims may still be doubted despite strong evidence.
![“Science in England is not a profession: its cultivators are scarcely recognised even as a class. Our language itself contains no single term by which their occupation can be expressed. We borrow a foreign word [Savant] from another country whose high ambition it is to advance science, and whose…” quote by Charles Babbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b12/charles-babbage-8461_accord_science-in-england-is-not-a-profession-i_256777.jpg)
