Political Quotes

Edmund Burke: No,--whenever I speak against theory, I mean always a weak, erroneous, fallacious, unfounded, or imperfect theory; and…

On the record
No,--whenever I speak against theory, I mean always a weak, erroneous, fallacious, unfounded, or imperfect theory; and one of the ways of discovering that it is a false theory is by comparing it with practice.
Said by
Edmund Burke

Editor's note · Context

Burke clarifies that his criticism of theory pertains only to those that are weak or flawed, emphasizing the importance of practical comparison.

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