Abandon Quote by Norman Macbeth
![“This does not mean that the profession is about to abandon Darwin forever or indorse [sic] my views publicly. The situation remains much as it was: the inner circles are full of doubt, but the public utterances are confident. The doubts may be greater now and the confidence less serene, but it…” quote by Norman Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7bf/norman-macbeth-47158_abandon_this-does-not-mean-that-the-profession-i_1631513.jpg)
“This does not mean that the profession is about to abandon Darwin forever or indorse [sic] my views publicly. The situation remains much as it was: the inner circles are full of doubt, but the public utterances are confident. The doubts may be greater now and the confidence less serene, but it will be a long time before the public is given the full dark picture. There is still need for a dissenting voice, a devil's advocate, a skeptical whistle-blower.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Academic journal, 2020
Acknowledges internal doubts within a profession while public confidence remains, urging dissent and critical voices.
In simple terms: Profession has hidden doubts despite outward confidence.
Key Takeaway
Encourage open critique within fields.
Themes
science
ethics
confidence
Mood
reflective
cautious
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- research meetings
- policy formulation
- public statements
Key Concepts
critical thinking
devil's advocate
whistleblowing
Questions to Reflect On
- How can dissent be protected?
- What risks arise from overconfidence?
A Different Perspective
Dissent may be suppressed, limiting progress.
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![“Darwinism has failed in practice. The whole aim and purpose of Darwinism is to show how modern forms descended from ancient forms, that is, to construct reliable phylogenies [evolutionary family trees]. In this it has utterly failed.” quote by Norman Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c4c/norman-macbeth-47158_aim_darwinism-has-failed-in-practice-the-who_744390.jpg)
![“The simplest case, where one is informed that a cat is black because it is black, may be harmless, though irritating and useless; but the actual cases [in statements of evolutionary theory] are always harder to detect than this, and may darken counsel for a long time.” quote by Norman Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e76/norman-macbeth-47158_black_the-simplest-case-where-one-is-informed_1618423.jpg)
