#Skepticism

"Nevertheless, (Jefferson) believed that the habit of skepticism is an essential prerequisite for responsible citizenship. He argued that the cost of education is trivial compared to the cost of ignorance, of leaving government to the wolves. He taught that the country is safe only when the people rule."

"Religious moderation is the product of secular knowledge and scriptural ignorance."

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

"I know of no society in human history that ever suffered because its people became too desirous of evidence in support of their core beliefs."

"We all ought to understand we're on our own. Believing in Santa Claus doesn't do kids any harm for a few years but it isn't smart for them to continue waiting all their lives for him to come down the chimney with something wonderful. Santa Claus and God are cousins."

"What we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts."

"Most institutions demand unqualified faith; but the institution of science makes skepticism a virtue."

"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities."

"You can get into a habit of thought in which you enjoy making fun of all those other people who don't see things as clearly as you do. We have to guard carefully against it."

"I don't believe in angels and I have trouble with the whole God thing. I don't want to say I don't believe in God but I don't think I do. But I believe in people who do."

"The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true."

"I like the scientific spirit—the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: this is ultimately fine—it always keeps the way beyond open—always gives life, thought, affection, the whole man, a chance to try over again after a mistake—after a wrong guess."

"Reality provides us with facts so romantic that imagination itself could add nothing to them."

"The glory of science is, that it is freeing the soul -- breaking the mental manacles -- getting the brain out of bondage -- giving courage to thought -- filling the world with mercy, justice, and joy."

"I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his own opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it."

"I mean, you could claim that anything's real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist!"

"It would be better for us to have some doubts in an honest pursuit of truth, than it would be for us to be certain about something that was not true."

"Liberty a word without which all other words are vain."

"Give me the storm and tempest of thought and action, rather than the dead calm of ignorance and faith! Banish me from Eden when you will; but first let me eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge!"

"I believe that we do not know anything for certain, but everything probably."