Consent Quote by Stephen Jay Gould
“Science is all those things which are confirmed to such a degree that it would be unreasonable to withhold one's provisional consent.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, 2002
Science is accepted when evidence is so strong that rejecting it would be unreasonable, though provisional consent remains open to revision.
In simple terms: Strong evidence makes scientific claims hard to deny.
Key Takeaway
Base conclusions on robust, reproducible data.
Themes
science
evidence
uncertainty
philosophy
methodology
Mood
curious
analytical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- research design
- policy making
- education
- public health decisions
Key Concepts
epistemology
provisionalism
scientific method
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence would change your current scientific belief?
- How do we handle uncertainty in urgent decisions?
A Different Perspective
Science is never absolute; new data can overturn consensus.
