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The Evidence and the Fool


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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