Word: scepticism
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Dates: during 1890-1899
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...that body intend to pronounce judgment on a difference of such a nature, and, on this ground, to issue a fiat regulating the conduct of the gentlemen who take exception to their opinion. If so, their action in the premises would be comparable to the evidence offered by the sceptic who seeks to deny the fundamental laws of thought. I leave logicians to trace the analogy...
...first, that the best things are the more eternal; second, that we are better off by believing this truth. In case both branches of this hypotheses are true, we are supposed to gain a certain good by belief. If we avoid the issue, we lose the good. The sceptic says, "Better risk loss of truth than chance of error." But we have no evidence that dupery through hope is worse than dupery through error. A sceptic, by requiring absolute proof before he believes, may cut himself off from all future good. We have a right to believe any hypothesis live...