Thoughts on the burden of proof

Thomas Jefferson, in an 1808 letter to one Daniel Salmon:

We certainly are not to deny whatever we cannot account for. A thousand phenomena present themselves daily which we cannot explain, but where facts are suggested, bearing no analogy with the laws of nature as yet known to us, their verity needs proofs proportioned to their difficulty. A cautious mind will weigh well the opposition of the phenomenon to everything hitherto observed, the strength of the testimony by which it is supported, and the errors and misconceptions to which even our senses are liable.

It’s a bit dense and archaic, but overall not a bad piece of writing that neatly describes how I feel about “unexplained phenomena.”

Just a tidy bit of skepticism to start your day. You’re welcome.

Comments

One response to “Thoughts on the burden of proof”

  1. jbm Avatar
    jbm

    Thanks a lot for that. I can use hearing that sort of thing these days.