What is the meaning of “no amount of evidence will ever persuade a fool”?
This statement has a purpose for those unconvinced or persuaded by evidence. You give the most perfect data or perfect reasoning about a topic and the recipient remains unconvinced. The unwritten implication is that he/she then must be a fool.
Therefore, the
statement is used to establish this: “If you accept no evidence, you must be a
fool.”
The inability by
others (i.e. you, me, et al.) to persuade even very intelligent people has been
rampant over all of time, in science, politics, philosophy, religion, even in
war. The nifty little aphorism in this question allows us to indirectly call
them fools. Second hand insults, as it were. Pretty neat!
For example,
Democrats think of Republicans as fools because they are unpersuaded by (their)
evidence. And vice-versa. In times past,
Lutherans thought of Catholics in the same way – using the word “heretic.” And
vice-versa. New science is often promoted by fools, according to established science.
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