Facts Quote by Charles Darwin
““False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often endure long; but false views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm, for everyone takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness; and when this is done, one path towards error is closed and the road to truth is often at the same time opened.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Origin of Species, 1859
False facts hinder scientific progress, but false views with some evidence are harmless because testing them closes errors and opens truth.
In simple terms: Wrong facts block science; testing false ideas helps truth.
Key Takeaway
Test and refute false ideas.
Themes
science
truth
error correction
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- research
- education
- policy making
- public discourse
Key Concepts
epistemology
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we ensure evidence is sufficient before testing?
- What mechanisms guard against entrenched false facts?
A Different Perspective
If evidence is weak, false views may persist unchallenged.
![“If we consider that all we deal with represents constantly changing sub-microscopic, interrelated processes which are not, and cannot be identical with themselves, the old dictum that everything is identical with itself becomes in [todays understanding of the universe] a principle invariably false…” quote by Alfred Korzybski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8cc/alfred-korzybski-8234_law_if-we-consider-that-all-we-deal-with-rep_2281921.jpg)
![“I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/958/charles-darwin-507_bounds_i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculation_35382.jpg)
