“Science is just common sense continually improving itself, rebuilding itself, until it is no longer recognizable as common sense”

The Atheist's Guide to Reality (2011)
Context: There is, however, a much more convincing argument that needs to be put on the table before we really begin turning common sense upside down. It is the overwhelming reason to prefer science to ordinary beliefs, common sense, and direct experience. Science is just common sense continually improving itself, rebuilding itself, until it is no longer recognizable as common sense. It is easy to miss this fact about science without studying a lot of history of science—and not the stories about science, but the succession of actual scientific theories and how common sense was both their mother and their midwife.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Science is just common sense continually improving itself, rebuilding itself, until it is no longer recognizable as com…" by Alexander Rosenberg?
Alexander Rosenberg photo
Alexander Rosenberg 18
American philosopher 1946

Related quotes

Nassim Nicholas Taleb photo

“Using, as an excuse, others’ failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.”

Source: The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms (2010), p. 7

Miranda July photo

“Common sense and the truth should feel authorless, writ by time itself.”

Miranda July (1974) American performance artist, musician and writer

The Shared Patio (2005)
Context: Common sense and the truth should feel authorless, writ by time itself. It is actually really hard to write something that will make a terminally ill person feel better. And Positive has rules, you can't just lift your guidance from the Bible or a book about Zen; they want original material. So far none of my submissions have gotten in, but I'm getting closer.

Edward B. Titchener photo

“Common sense is the very antipodes of science.”

Edward B. Titchener (1867–1927) American psychologist

Edward B. Titchener, Systematic Psychology: Prolegomena (1972), p. 48

William James photo

“A sense of humor is just common sense dancing.”

William James (1842–1910) American philosopher, psychologist, and pragmatist
Harvey Mansfield photo

“Common sense and a sense of humour are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humour is just common sense, dancing. Those who lack humour are without judgement and should be trusted with nothing.”

Clive James (1939–2019) Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet, translator and memoirist

Essays and reviews, Clive James On Television (1991)

Will Rogers photo

“Common sense ain't common.”

Will Rogers (1879–1935) American humorist and entertainer

“Gods are fragile things, they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense.”

Chapman Cohen (1868–1954) British atheist and secularist writer and lecturer

Context: Gods are fragile things, they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense. They thrive on servility and shrink before independence. They feed upon worship as kings do upon flattery. That is why the cry of gods at all times is "Worship us or we perish."

Pamphlet The Devil, quoted in Gordon Stein An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism (Prometheus Books, 1980), p. 258.

David Deutsch photo

Related topics