Answers Quote by Noam Chomsky
“Do I believe in God? Can't answer, I'm afraid. I'm not being flippant, but I don't understand the question. What is it that I am supposed to believe or not believe in? Are you asking whether I believe there is something not in the universe (or the universes, if there are (maybe infinitely) many of them), and that somehow stands above them? I've never heard of any reason for believing that.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: “On Belief and the Unknown” with Noam Chomsky, 2020
The speaker expresses uncertainty about belief in a deity, questioning the basis and meaning of such belief, and highlights the difficulty of answering abstract theological questions.
In simple terms: Uncertain about belief; struggles with abstract theological concepts.
Key Takeaway
Clarify personal stance on belief.
Themes
faith
uncertainty
philosophy
existential
skepticism
Mood
thoughtful
questioning
introspective
Type
philosophical
dialogue
personal
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- philosophical discussion
- public speaking
Key Concepts
theology
epistemology
existential doubt
Questions to Reflect On
- What does belief mean to you?
- How do you handle uncertainty?
A Different Perspective
The speaker may be conflating belief with knowledge.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
