Accounts Quote by Thomas Huxley
“Common sense is science exactly in so far as it fulfills the ideal of common sense; that is, sees facts as they are, or at any rate, without the distortion of prejudice, and reasons from them in accordance with the dictates of sound judgment. And science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Essays on Science and Common Sense, Thomas Huxley, 1870
Science aligns with common sense when it objectively reflects facts without bias and follows sound reasoning.
In simple terms: Science is unbiased, logical common sense.
Key Takeaway
Seek factual, unbiased reasoning.
Themes
science
logic
objectivity
common sense
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
explanatory
When to use this quote
- research
- education
- policy making
- media analysis
Key Concepts
empiricism
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we identify hidden biases?
- Can common sense be universally defined?
A Different Perspective
Common sense can be culturally biased, limiting universality.
![“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)
