Authorities Quotes
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.
3rd Earl Russell of Kingston. He arrives at the same place as Spinoza did in the 17th century although his reasons are different.
He was one of many who had been profoundly influenced by Spinoza on this critical point. See {624859}.
Scientists are notorious contemptuous of authorities and authority especially in the scientific arena. They generally follow the philosophical doctrine of Spinosa who counted authority as nothing when compared with observation and reason. In this sense, they are problems for authoritarian leaders especially. Einstein when younger had little respect for many of the so called “great professors” of physics and chemistry. He was considered disrespectful at best. He would argue that just because a man was a great professor or scientist did not necessarily make him right on any given issue and indeed he challenged the entire method of thinking about the world. However, then he became the great professor and the foile which he always disparaged.
