Everything that I know directly is part of my "mind," and the inferences by which I arrive at the existence of other things are by no means conclusive. It may be, therefore, that nothing exists except my mind. In that case, when I die the universe will go out. But if I am going to admit minds other than my own, I must admit the whole astronomical universe, since the evidence is exactly equally strong in both cases.
Source: Bertrand Russell: Religion and Science, 1935, chapt. 8:
More info.: https://russell-j.com/beginner/RS1935_08-230.HTM
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In theory, solipsism. the view that nothing exists outside myself (or my own consciousness), cannot be disproved. Yet in practice, in the ordinary course of daily life, no one truly subscribes to solipsism. Were one really to believe it, one might step forward thinking that the cliff edge before one's eyes was merely an "illusion" arising in one's mind; one would fall to one's death, and one's consciousness would vanish at that very instant.
The moment we acknowledge minds other than our own, however, we are also committed to acknowledging the existence of the entire universe we observe; only the degree of confidence diminishes as things grow more distant from us.
Needless to say, even science is built on the numerical results and data gathered through individual observations. If the observations of a normally functioning human being, say, myself, could not be trusted, then the reliability of science, founded on the vast trove of data recorded by many such people, would likewise be undermined, and many scientific achievements would cease to be credible.
What each of us chooses to believe or to doubt varies from person to person, but credulity can often bring considerable harm, so vigilance is required.
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