“I am not very impressed with theological arguments whatever they may be used to support. Such arguments have often been found unsatisfactory in the past.”

— Alan Turing , Computing Machinery and Intelligence

Source: Computing Machinery and Intelligence (1950), pp. 443-444.
Context: I am not very impressed with theological arguments whatever they may be used to support. Such arguments have often been found unsatisfactory in the past. In the time of Galileo it was argued that the texts, "And the sun stood still... and hasted not to go down about a whole day" (Joshua x. 13) and "He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not move at any time" (Psalm cv. 5) were an adequate refutation of the Copernican theory.

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 "I am not very impressed with theological arguments whatever they may be used to support. Such arguments have often been…" by Alan Turing?

Alan Turing 33

British mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and computer… 1912–1954

Related quotes

“Sir, I have found you an argument; but I am not obliged to find you an understanding.”

Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) English writer

June 1784, p. 545
Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), Vol IV

“No deeply-rooted tendency was ever extirpated by adverse argument. Not having originally been founded on argument, it cannot be destroyed by logic.”

George Henry Lewes (1817–1878) British philosopher

Vol. 1, p. 7
The Foundations of a Creed (1874-5)

“A novel is an impression, not an argument.”

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) English novelist and poet

Source: Tess of the D'Urbervilles

“Providence and Manifest Destiny are synonyms often invoked to support arguments based on wishful thinking.”

Frank Herbert (1920–1986) American writer

"From The Wreave Commentary"; p. 136
The Bureau of Sabotage series, Whipping Star (1969)

“Anecdotes are sometimes the best vehicles of truth, and if striking and appropriate are often more impressive and powerful than argument.”

Tryon Edwards (1809–1894) American theologian

Source: A Dictionary of Thoughts, 1891, p. 20.

“I am the logic of all arguments - Arguments are of three kinds:”

Baba Hari Dass (1923–2018) master yogi, author, builder, commentator of Indian spiritual tradition

1) jalpa (arrogant argument) – In this type of argument one tries to establish one's point of view by contradicting the opponent's argument without considering whether the opponent's argument is right or wrong.
2) vitanda (destructive criticism) – In this type of argument the person simply destroys the opponent's viewpoint by misleading argument.
3) vada (logical argument) – In this type of argument one uses a method of discussion with reasoning with an aim to find out what is truth and what is untruth. Reasoning is the best method of discussion to achieve the truth. This is why the Lord says, “Among arguments, I am vada or logical argument.”
Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Ch. VII-XII, 2014