Empiricism wants to be epistemically modest, but belief that a theory is empirically adequate goes well beyond the deliverances of experience.
Poorly reported studies can still hold value, and uniformly positive results can convert modest degrees of belief in drug effects into higher degrees of belief.
And we should be humble and modest in our belief we can eliminate those things".
While we need to be modest in our belief that we can remedy every evil, and we need to be mindful that the world is full of unintended consequences, should we really accept the notion that the world is powerless in the face of a Rwanda or Srebrenica?
He said his view of Judge Rakoff's ruling was that "we should be more modest about our belief about what we have done when we have sentenced somebody to death, and that modesty should include a realization that we may well be wrong, which means we should be more open to reconsidering it, and we should not make it impossible to reconsider it".
He's previously explained that the effort, although modest, reflects his belief in the ancient quote from Chinese philosopher Lao-Tse that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".
Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said: "The relapse in mortgage approvals in April from an already low level reinforces our belief that modest falls in house prices are more probable than not over the coming months".
"The relapse in mortgage approvals in April from an already low level reinforces our belief that modest falls in house prices are more probable than not over the coming months, as tighter fiscal policy and the possibility of gradually rising interest rates before the end of 2011 maintains pressure on the housing market," he said.
Click here to listen Perfect Pussy's are more modest punk rock beliefs in, say, the abiding value of cassettes and promoting positivity in the face of antagonism from within their local hardcore community.
It's a particularly remarkable feature of modern British life: the way that in certain circles even the mention of the most modest form of theistic belief is enough to bring down great torrents of hostility.
