Clifford

,

WK

1845-1879

,
Freethinker

The danger to society [of believing without sufficient evidence] is not merely that it should believe the wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery ... To sum up; it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything on insufficient evidence.” 

“The Ethics of Belief,” in The Ethics of Belief and other Essays, pp. 76-77

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