Schizflux

“My argument against a naive form of empiricism was essentially anticipated by Mark Twain. On his first appointment as a reporter, he tells us, the editor of the newspaper instructed him never to report anything unless he could verify it or confirm it by personal knowledge. So he described a social event as follows: 'A woman giving the name of Mrs James Jones, who is reported to be one of the society leaders of the city, is said to have given what purported to be a party yesterday to a number of alleged ladies. The hostess claims to be the wife of a reputed attorney.'

One sees that Mark Twain was quick to realize the silliness of the naive empiricist (verificationist) theory of the sources of our knowledge.”
― Karl R. Popper, Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge

“A confused mind tends to be the most creative.”
― Steven Magee

“Science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths.”
― Karl R. Popper, Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge

“It is astonishing to see how many philosophical disputes collapse into insignificance the moment you subject them to this simple test of tracing a concrete consequence.”
― William James, Pragmatism