Questioning Authority Quotes
Original French: “Croyez ceux qui cherchent la vérité, doutez de ceux qui la trouvent.”
This is a modern summary of the philosophy of Benedict Spinoza who developed the modern philosophical foundation of science and scientific thinking. When the authorities are clerics and religious leaders, their authority gets undermined which is why the Jews, Christians, and Muslims all excommunicated Spinoza. For the scientists, they themselves are to be rejected as determiners of knowledge and truth so they tend to do poorly in political disputes because the good scientists would never assert a belief that the politicians should listen to them just because they are great scientists and they “know.” It is the ideologues and junk scientists who are sure of their testimony and can advise with certainty. See linked quote(s).
3rd Earl Russell of Kingston. He arrives at the same place as Spinoza did in the 17th century although his reasons are different.
This is a fundamental difference between fascistic and extreme conservative vis a vis democratic and liberal points of view. Thomas Jefferson was the greatest proponent of the right of individuals in a society to not only question the major civilizational choices that have been made but to possibly change them for each generation which is exactly what has happened in America and most liberal democracies. However, many argue the contrary that certain fundamental civilizational; choices are so fundamental that they are immutable and may not be changed. The alternative for those who do not care for those choices is to leave the country.
