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The contingency of history (both for life in general and for the cultures of Homo sapiens) and human free will (in the factual rather than theological sense) are conjoined concepts, and no better evidence can be produced than the “experimental” production of markedly different solutions in identical environments.

— Stephen Jay Gould Eight Little Piggies (1993)

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More quotes by Stephen Jay Gould

If there is any consistent enemy of science, it is not religion, but irrationalism.

Ever Since Darwin (1977)

Great theories are expansive; failures mire us in dogmatism and tunnel vision.

Eight Little Piggies (1993)

Details are all that matters: God dwells there, and you never get to see Him if you don't struggle to get them right.

Eight Little Piggies (1993)

The world, unfortunately, rarely matches our hopes and consistently refuses to behave in a reasonable manner.

The Panda's Thumb (1980)

The study of social setting does not imply either the irrelevance or nonexistence of a factual world out there.

An Urchin in the Storm (1987)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Stephen Jay Gould (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.