When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also admit that some things are much more nearly certain than others. It is much more nearly certain that we are assembled here tonight than it is that this or that political party is in the right. Certainly there are degrees of certainty, and one should be very careful to emphasize that fact, because otherwise one is landed in an utter skepticism, and complete skepticism would, of course, be totally barren and completely useless.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the concept of uncertainty and the varying degrees of certainty that exist in different aspects of life. While acknowledging that nothing can be truly certain, it suggests that some things can be considered more likely than others. For instance, the gathering of people in a specific place can be viewed as a highly probable event compared to determining the correctness of a political party. By acknowledging these degrees of certainty, it warns against falling into extreme skepticism, as absolute skepticism would be unproductive and devoid of any value.