Who said “Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.”?

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Thomas H. Huxley. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"The Coming of Age of The Origin of Species" (1880); Collected Essays, vol. 2

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“Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.”
— Thomas H. Huxley
Verified"The Coming of Age of The Origin of Species" (1880); Collected Essays, vol. 2 · evidenceTruth

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "The Coming of Age of The Origin of Species" (1880); Collected Essays, vol. 2.

APA

Huxley, T. H. (n.d.). Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40175-irrationally-held-truths-may-be-more-harmful-than/

MLA

Huxley, Thomas H. “Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40175-irrationally-held-truths-may-be-more-harmful-than/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Huxley, Thomas H. “Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40175-irrationally-held-truths-may-be-more-harmful-than/.

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“The great tragedy of Science — the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.”
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“Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority.”
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