Curiosity Quote by Frans de Waal
“The enemy of science is not religion... . The true enemy is the substitution of thought, reflection, and curiosity with dogma.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Talk on Science and Dogma, 2015
True threat to science is replacing curiosity with rigid belief.
In simple terms: Dogma stifles inquiry.
Key Takeaway
Encourage questioning and open inquiry.
Themes
science
critical thinking
dogma
Mood
inquisitive
critical
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- education
- research
- policy making
- public discourse
Key Concepts
curiosity
reflection
intellectual honesty
Questions to Reflect On
- What beliefs have you questioned recently?
- How can you foster curiosity in others?
A Different Perspective
Dogma can be deeply ingrained and socially reinforced.
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
![“[T]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. [...] The point is, perhaps, that I am not looking for a verbal answer, just as when I ask for a kiss, I do not want a piece of paper with "A kiss" written on it. It is rather that metaphysical wonder looks…” quote by Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/705/alan-w-watts-9497_curiosity_t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no_3984.jpg)
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
