Agnosticism Quote by Thomas Huxley
““Agnosticism is of the essence of science, whether ancient or modern. It simply means that a man shall not say he knows or believes that which he has no scientific grounds for professing to know or believe. Consequently Agnosticism puts aside not only the greater part of popular theology, but also the greater part of anti-theology. On the whole, the "bosh" of heterodoxy is more offensive to me than that of orthodoxy, because heterodoxy professes to be guided by reason and science, and orthodoxy does not.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Science and Religion, Thomas Huxley, 1869
Science requires acknowledging uncertainty and avoiding claims without evidence, rejecting both extreme theology and anti‑theology.
In simple terms: Science demands humility about what we can know.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty, base beliefs on evidence.
Themes
science
skepticism
philosophy
religion
reason
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- public discourse
- personal belief formation
- policy making
Key Concepts
agnosticism
epistemology
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance open‑mindedness with the need for conviction?
- When is it appropriate to claim certainty?
A Different Perspective
It may discourage definitive moral guidance for some.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
