Happily our civilization
possesses two great advantages over past times : scientific
knowledge and the scientific spirit. To us have been
revealed secrets of life our forebears never knew. And
to us has been vouchsafed a passion for truth such as the
world has never seen. Other ages have sought truth
from the lips of seers and prophets; our age seeks it from
scientific proof. Other ages have had their saints and
martyrs dauntless souls who clung to their faith with
unshakable constancy. Yet our age has also its saints
and martyrs heroes who can not only face death for
their faith, but who can also scrap their faith when facts
have proved it wrong.
--Lothrop Stoddard, The Revolt Against Civilization
--Lothrop Stoddard, The Revolt Against Civilization