Ever need a fact or quotation on scepticism? Designed for speechwriters, journalists, writers, researchers, students, professors, teachers, historians, academics, scrapbookers, trivia buffs and word lovers, this is the largest book ever created for this single word. It represents a compilation from a variety of sources with a linguistic emphasis on anything relating to the term “scepticism,” including non-conventional usage and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities. The entries cover all parts of speech (noun, verb, adverb or adjective usage) as well as use in modern slang, pop culture, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This “data dump” results in many unexpected examples for scepticism, since the editorial decision to include or exclude terms is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under “fair use” conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. Proceeds from this book are used to expand the content and coverage of Webster’s Online Dictionary (www.websters-online-dictionary.org).

Familiar Quotations

Scepticism

The natural cause of the human mind is certainly from credulity to skepticism.–Thomas Jefferson

A wise skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic.–James Russell Lowell

The path of sound credence is through the thick forest of skepticism.–George Jean Nathan

I prefer credulity to skepticism and cynicism for there is more promise in almost anything than in nothing at all.–Ralph B. Perry

Skepticism, riddling the faith of yesterday, prepared the way for the faith of tomorrow.–Romain Rolland

Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect.–George Santayana

There is a kind of courtesy in skepticism. It would be an offense against polite conventions to press our doubts too far.–George Santayana

What is wrong with priests and popes is that instead of being apostles and saints, they are nothing but empirics who say ''I know'' instead of ''I am learning,'' and pray for credulity and inertia as wise men pray for skepticism and activity.–George Bernard Shaw

The poison of skepticism becomes, like alcoholism, tuberculosis, and some other diseases, much more virulent in a hitherto virgin soil.–Simone Weil

Scepticism – "Distrust"

Distrust all men in whom the impulse to punish is powerful.–Friedrich Nietzsche

• Preface v
• Familiar Quotations 1
• Scepticism 1
• Scepticism – "Distrust" 1
• Scepticism – "Doubt" 1
• Scepticism – "Mistrust" 2
• Scepticism – "Suspicion" 2
• Scepticism – "Uncertainty" 3
• Use in Literature 4
• Scepticism 4
• Scepticism – "Believer" 16
• Scepticism – "Christianity" 17
• Scepticism – "Conclusions" 18
• Scepticism – "Doubt" 18
• Scepticism – "Experience" 20
• Scepticism – "Faith" 21
• Scepticism – "Farther" 21
• Scepticism – "Father's" 22
• Scepticism – "Felt" 22
• Scepticism – "Found" 23
• Scepticism – "Great" 23
• Scepticism – "History" 25
• Scepticism – "Human" 25
• Scepticism – "Incredulity" 26
• Scepticism – "Interested" 26
• Scepticism – "Life" 26
• Scepticism – "Little" 27
• Scepticism – "Man" 28
• Scepticism – "Means" 29
• Scepticism – "Modern" 29
• Scepticism – "Nothing" 30
• Scepticism – "Old" 31
• Scepticism – "Real" 31
• Scepticism – "Reason" 32
• Scepticism – "Religious" 33
• Scepticism – "Science" 34
• Scepticism – "Soon" 35
• Scepticism – "Spiritual" 35
• Scepticism – "State" 36
• Scepticism – "Superstitious" 36
• Scepticism – "Things" 37
• Scepticism – "World" 38
• Nonfiction Usage 39
• Journalism Usage 39
• Bibliographic Usage 39
• Encyclopedic Usage 63
• Lexicographic Usage 68
• Index 79