Evidently So
Rules to Live By
Sophia: Hitchens, I’ve been reflecting on principles for living wisely. You once said that what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. Could this serve as a rule to live by?
Hitchens: Absolutely, Sophia. Life is full of claims—political, religious, moral. If we accept assertions without scrutiny, we surrender our reason. A rule grounded in evidence protects us from folly.
Sophia: So skepticism, in this sense, is not cynicism but a safeguard, a discipline of thought that prevents deception and error.
What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.
— Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)
Hitchens: Precisely. It is not merely a habit of mind, but a moral responsibility. We owe it to ourselves—and to society—to demand evidence before belief. Otherwise, we participate in the propagation of falsehood.
Sophia: And yet, some truths are not easily measurable. How do we navigate areas where evidence is incomplete or interpretation is necessary?
Hitchens: Then we acknowledge uncertainty. We can withhold judgment without abandoning reason. Assertion without evidence is not elevated by eloquence, tradition, or fear—it remains ungrounded.
Sophia: So living by this rule requires both courage and humility: courage to question authority and conventional wisdom, humility to accept what is not yet known.
Hitchens: Exactly. A life guided by reason, evidence, and skepticism is one that maximizes understanding and minimizes error. Rules, yes—but rules rooted in inquiry rather than dogma.
Sophia: Then perhaps the first rule of living wisely is this: believe nothing without reason, assert nothing without evidence, and let every claim stand or fall by its merits.
Hitchens: Well said, Sophia. In a world awash with assertions, that rule is not only practical—it is indispensable.
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Heraclitus
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