"A ship-owner was about to send to sea an emigrant-ship. He knew that she was old, and not
overwell built at the first; that she had seen many seas and climes, and often had needed repairs.
Doubts had been suggested to him that possibly she was not seaworthy. These doubts preyed
upon his mind, and made him unhappy; he thought that perhaps he ought to have her thoroughly
overhauled and refitted, even though this should put him at great expense. Before the ship sailed,
however, he succeeded in overcoming these melancholy reflections. He said to himself that she had
gone safely through so many voyages and weathered so many storms that it was idle to suppose she
would not come safely home from this trip also. He would put his trust in Providence, which could
hardly fail to protect all these unhappy families that were leaving their fatherland to seek for better
times elsewhere. He would dismiss from his mind all ungenerous suspicions about the honesty of
builders and contractors. In such ways he acquired a sincere and comfortable conviction that his
vessel was thoroughly safe and seaworthy; he watched her departure with a light heart, and
benevolent wishes for the success of the exiles in their strange new home that was to be; and
he got his insurance-money when she went down in mid-ocean and told no tales.
What shall we say of him? Surely this, that he was verily guilty of the death of those men. It is
admitted that he did sincerely believe in the soundness of his ship; but the sincerity of his conviction
can in no wise help him, because he had no right to believe on such evidence as was before him. He
had acquired his belief not by honestly earning it in patient investigation, but by stifling his doubts."
William K. Clifford
The Ethics of Belief
(Sourced from Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World)
overwell built at the first; that she had seen many seas and climes, and often had needed repairs.
Doubts had been suggested to him that possibly she was not seaworthy. These doubts preyed
upon his mind, and made him unhappy; he thought that perhaps he ought to have her thoroughly
overhauled and refitted, even though this should put him at great expense. Before the ship sailed,
however, he succeeded in overcoming these melancholy reflections. He said to himself that she had
gone safely through so many voyages and weathered so many storms that it was idle to suppose she
would not come safely home from this trip also. He would put his trust in Providence, which could
hardly fail to protect all these unhappy families that were leaving their fatherland to seek for better
times elsewhere. He would dismiss from his mind all ungenerous suspicions about the honesty of
builders and contractors. In such ways he acquired a sincere and comfortable conviction that his
vessel was thoroughly safe and seaworthy; he watched her departure with a light heart, and
benevolent wishes for the success of the exiles in their strange new home that was to be; and
he got his insurance-money when she went down in mid-ocean and told no tales.
What shall we say of him? Surely this, that he was verily guilty of the death of those men. It is
admitted that he did sincerely believe in the soundness of his ship; but the sincerity of his conviction
can in no wise help him, because he had no right to believe on such evidence as was before him. He
had acquired his belief not by honestly earning it in patient investigation, but by stifling his doubts."
William K. Clifford
The Ethics of Belief
(Sourced from Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World)
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
