American culture Quote by Wendy Kaminer
“The scarcest resource these days is reason. What's certainly striking about American culture today is the great hostility toward science and the decline of respect for rational scientific thinking. People seem to think that we are ruled by the scientific method and that we overvalue reason. If there was ever a period when we overvalued reason, I think that it was probably extremely brief. What I see now is a great deal of superstition, as much superstition as there has ever been. There are probably more people who believe in guardian angels than who understand the law of gravity.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Decline of Reason, 2020
Society increasingly favors superstition over rational thought, diminishing respect for science.
In simple terms: People trust superstition more than science.
Key Takeaway
Promote critical thinking and scientific literacy.
Themes
reason
science
superstition
culture
Mood
concerned
analytical
Type
critical
informative
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- media analysis
- school curricula
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
public discourse
education
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives the rise of superstition today?
- How can we strengthen scientific reasoning in public life?
A Different Perspective
Reason remains essential for progress; not all reject science.
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