“If my interlocutor desires to convince me that Jupiter has inhabitants, and that his description of them is accurate, it is for him to bring forward evidence in support of his contention. The burden of proof evidently lies on him; it is not for me to prove that no such beings exist before my non-belief is justified, but for him to prove that they do exist before my belief can be fairly claimed. Similarly, it is for the affirmer of God's existence to bring evidence in support of his affirmation; the burden of proof lies on him.” IfsLyingDesireBeliefExistenceSupportAtheismProveEvidenceBurdenPositive AtheismProofConvinceDescriptionAccurateAffirmationJustifiedContentionJupiterBurden Of Proof Book:The Origins of Theosophy (Routledge Revivals): Annie Besant - The Atheist Years Source: The Origins of Theosophy (Routledge Revivals): Annie Besant - The Atheist Years
“To invent without scruple a new principle to every new phenomenon, instead of adapting it to the old; to overload our hypothesis with a variety of this kind, are certain proofs that none of these principles is the just one, and that we only desire, by a number of falsehoods, to cover our ignorance of the truth.” KindTruthDesireCertainNumbersPrinciplesIgnoranceProofVarietyJust OnePhenomenonFalsehoodHypothesisAdaptingScruplesOverload Book:A Treatise of Human Nature Source: A Treatise of Human Nature