'Not far from the invention of fire... we must rank the invention of doubt.'
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Doubt is a fundamental human invention comparable to fire.
- In plain terms
- Learning to question things is as important as learning to use fire.
- What can you take from it?
- Value doubt as a tool for progress.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How has doubt helped you learn?
- Is doubt a sign of weakness or strength?
Another view
It elevates doubt over faith which may unsettle some.
More from Thomas Henry Huxley
'The mediaeval university looked backwards: it professed to be a storehouse of old knowledge... The modern university looks forward: it is a factory of new kno…
Permalink to quote #33 THH poem in letter to J.D. Hooker 4th Dec 1894 on hearing that JDH's son had fallen into a salt vat. Huxley papers at Imperial College London HP 2.454.
Permalink to quote #35 'I do not advocate burning your ship to get rid of the cockroaches'.
Permalink to quote #32
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