Unacceptable Quotes
This quotation illustrates a scientific principle that is at the heart of several political issues. Specifically the debate over whether creationism should be taught in science classes along with evolution. The major reason that almost all serious scientists (religious and secular both) oppose teaching creationism is that it is not a “falsifiable” set of statements—that is there is no way to prove it or disprove it. There are scientific statements that can be proved or disproved but have not yet been so. To be a scientific statement, it must be falsifiable—logically provable or disprovable. And this is the logic which the Federal Courts have used in ruling that creationism may not be taught in science classes in public schools. This quotation, Pauli is saying that the paper is not falsifiable—it cannot be proved and cannot be refuted. As such it is not scientific and belongs in the realm of philosophy, literature, theology, or other disciplines, but not science. An example of non-falsifiable statements are: “Blue is the most attractive color.”; “Freedom is essential to capitalism”; “Monarchy is more efficient than theocracy”.
of allegiance to the U.S. There were a number of “Copperheads” –Southern sympathizers—in the North, especially those areas that were near borders with Southern States. Some patriots proposed requiring everyone to take an oath—a solution that tends often to be suggested in times of war and strife, but really doesn’t do any good. The real traitors just falsely take the other; others who refuse, do so on principle and are rarely dangerous. Few public men had had the courage to call the process of requiring loyalty oaths absurd as Sherman did in the Civil War. In almost every era of war—cold or hot—there are some people who call for requiring more loyalty oaths and relatively few like Sherman who will publicly admit its futility.
