--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 37. 'But more potent forces motivated…" description: "\"“37. 'But more potent forces motivated these subsequent authors as well. Across cultures and eras, the two greatest powers behind the production and di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/kathryn-schulz-7782_books_37-but-more-potent-forces-motivated-thes_2331003.jpg" --- # 37. 'But more potent forces motivated these subsequent… ![“37. 'But more potent forces motivated these subsequent authors as well. Across cultures and eras, the two greatest powers behind the production and dissemination of knowledge - which is to say, its CONTROL - have been RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES and THE STATE, and one or the other typically provided…” quote by Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/kathryn-schulz-7782_books_37-but-more-potent-forces-motivated-thes_2331003.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/kathryn-schulz-7782_books_37-but-more-potent-forces-motivated-thes_2331003.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/kathryn-schulz-7782_books_37-but-more-potent-forces-motivated-thes_2331003.jpg) > ““37. 'But more potent forces motivated these subsequent authors as well. Across cultures and eras, the two greatest powers behind the production and dissemination of knowledge - which is to say, its CONTROL - have been RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES and THE STATE, and one or the other typically provided both the financial means and the ideological ends for compendium projects'. Against the backdrop of this quote, why is it important to devise your own opinion on every subject, having previously conducted your own private investigation? Discuss at length.”” [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Independent inquiry counters institutional control, fostering personal truth and critical thinking. **In simple terms:** Think for yourself despite authority. Key Takeaway Question dominant narratives. Themes knowledge authority critical thinking Mood analytical skeptical Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - academic research - media consumption - political activism - education curriculum Key Concepts epistemology political power Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to verify information? - How do you balance respect for expertise with personal skepticism? A Different Perspective May underestimate the complexity of unbiased research. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) ## Related quotes > [“obsequious submissiveness to the religious authorities, and ultimately to Geneva.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/obsequious-submissiveness-to-the-religious-authorities-and-ultimately/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Liberty is the prevention of control by others. 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(p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [Error ... is less an intellectual problem than an existential one - a crisis not in what we know, but in who we are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/error-is-less-an-intellectual-problem-than-an-existential-one-a/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [“Even a committed realist will concede that there are many situations where an absolute standard of truth is unavailable. And yet, confronted with such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/even-a-committed-realist-will-concede-that-there-are-many-situations/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [We need to learn to love the flawed, imperfect things that we create, and to forgive ourselves for creating them. Regret doesen't remind us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/we-need-to-learn-to-love-the-flawed-imperfect-things-that-we-create/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [“I had, during many years, followed a golden rule, namely that whenever a published fact, a new observation or thought came across me, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/i-had-during-many-years-followed-a-golden-rule-namely-that-whenever-a/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [“It is often precisely these irresolvable issues that arouse our most impassioned certainty that we are right and our adversaries are wrong. To my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/it-is-often-precisely-these-irresolvable-issues-that-arouse-our-most/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [“The vast majority of our beliefs are really beliefs once removed. 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Vilifying menstruating women bolstering anti-Muslim stereotypes murdering innocent citizens of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/as-all-this-suggests-our-relationship-with-evidence-is-seldom-purely/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [“We are more alarmed by leaders who waver than by those who screw up. (p.174)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/we-are-more-alarmed-by-leaders-who-waver-than-by-those-who-screw-up-p/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [“Plato (...) defined knowledge as "justified true belief". 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“37. 'But more potent forces motivated these subsequent authors as well. Across cultures and eras, the two greatest powers behind the production and dissemination of knowledge - which is to say, its CONTROL - have been RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES and THE STATE, and one or the other typically provided both the financial means and the ideological ends for compendium projects'. 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