Blaise Pascal Quotes
We are usually convinced more easily by reasons we have found ourselves than by those which have occurred to others
Blaise Pascal, 1623-1662, French Mathematician & Philosopher, Pensees. 1670
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
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).
This principle, so important to the philosophy of science, was a major component of the philosophy of Spinoza—the part that had him excommunicated by the 3 major religions of the era.
Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, writer and Catholic theologian.
