Condemnation Before Investigation

You may have heard of this quote before; it’s been floating around the internet for quite some time. It’s almost like a meme. But before Richard Dawkins was born, this axiom was a meme before the internet or electricity existed. “Condemnation before investigation, is the highest form of ignorance.” This quote, most often attributed to the infamous (Albert Einstein) is paraphrased -often without citations- to the likes of Ernest Hemmingway, Thomas Edison, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. William Paley, however wrote a similar sentiment that can be found on page 455 of his book entitled “Paley’s evidences of Christianity”. “…Contempt prior to examination is an intellectual vice, from which the greatest faculties of mind are not free.” -William Paley, 1859 A.D. Also see: Metabunk.org