God pity the man of seience who believes in nothing but what he can prove by scientific methods; for if ever a human being needed divine pity he does.
—Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–81) American Editor, Novelist
A man ceases to be a beginner in any given science and becomes a master in that science when he has learned that he is going to be a beginner all his life.
—R. G. Collingwood (1889–1943) English Philosopher, Historian, Archaeologist
But how is one to make a scientist understand that there is something unalterably deranged about differential calculus, quantum theory, or the obscene and so inanely liturgical ordeals of the precession of the equinoxes.
—Antonin Artaud (1896–1948) French Actor, Drama Theorist
I like the scientific spirit—the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: this is ultimately fine—it always keeps the way beyond open.
—Walt Whitman (1819–92) American Poet, Essayist, Journalist, American, Poet, Essayist, Journalist
The sciences are of sociable disposition, and flourish best in the neighborhood of each other; nor is there any branch of learning but may be helped and improved by assistance drawn from other arts.
—William Blackstone (1723–80) English Judge, Jurist, Academic
The man of science is a poor philosopher.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
No atomic physicist has to worry, people will always want to kill other people on a mass scale. Sure, he’s got the fridge full of sausages and spring water.
—William S. Burroughs (1914–97) American Novelist, Poet, Short Story Writer, Painter
If anybody says he can think about quantum physics without getting giddy, that only shows he has not understood the first thing about them.
—Niels Bohr (1885–1962) Danish Physicist
Isn’t it marvelous how those scientists know the names of all those stars?
—Unknown
To have no time for philosophy is to be a true philosopher.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
If they don’t depend on true evidence, scientists are no better than gossips.
—Penelope Fitzgerald (1916–2000) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Biographer
It is certain that a serious attention to the sciences and liberal arts softens and humanizes the temper, and cherishes those fine emotions in which true virtue and honor consist. It very rarely happens that a man of taste and learning is not, at least, an honest man, whatever frailties may attend him.
—David Hume (1711–76) Scottish Philosopher, Historian
Science may set limits to knowledge, but should not set limits to imagination.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
Architect: One who drafts a plan of your house, and plans a draft of your money.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
There are no better terms available to describe [The] difference between the approach of the natural and the social sciences than to call the former “objective” and the latter “subjective.” … While for the natural scientist the contrast between objective facts and subjective opinions is a simple one, the distinction cannot as readily be applied to the object of the social sciences. The reason for this is that the object, the “facts” of the social sciences are also opinions—not opinions of the student of the social phenomena, of course, but opinions of those whose actions produce the object of the social scientist.
—Friedrich Hayek (1899–1992) British Economist, Social Philosopher
We often have need of a profound philosophy to restore to our feelings their original state of innocence, to find our way out of the rubble of things alien to us, to begin to feel for ourselves and to speak ourselves, and I might almost say to exist ourselves.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
No delusion is greater than the notion that method and industry can make up for lack of mother-wit, either in science or in practical life.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
A tool is but the extension of a man’s hand and a machine is but a complex tool; and he that invents a machine augments the power of man and the well-being of mankind.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
In the scientific world I find just that disinterested devotion to great ends that I hope will spread at last through the entire range of human activity.
—H. G. Wells (1866–1946) English Novelist, Historian, Social Thinker
If a man hasn’t got plenty of good common sense, the more science he has the worse for his patient.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
Material science now has the clear possibility and promise of the systematic utilization of all the natural resources of the earth for the good of the whole human race…. Maintaining and improving the standard of living of all the peoples of the earth through increasing use of mechanical horsepower and the scientific approach is now one of the keys to peace in the world.
—Charles Erwin Wilson (1886–1972) American Businessperson
Science has always been too dignified to invent a good backscratcher.
—Don Marquis (1878–1937) American Humorist, Journalist, Author
Science is Christian, not when it condemns itself to the letter of things, but when, in the infinitely little, it discovers as many mysteries and as much depth and power as in the infinitely great.
—Edgar Quinet (1803–75) French Historian, Poet
Let me arrest thy thoughts; wonder with me, why plowing, building, ruling and the rest, or most of those arts, whence our lives are blest, by cursed Cain’s race invented be, and blest Seth vexed us with Astronomy.
—John Donne (1572–1631) English Poet, Cleric
Science can only determine what is, but not what shall be, and beyond its realm, value judgements remain indispensable. Religion, on the other hand, is concerned only with evaluating human thought and actions; it is not qualified to speak of real facts and the relationships between them.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Science is a cemetery of dead ideas.
—Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) Spanish Educator, Philosopher, Author
Science is an integral part of culture. It’s not this foreign thing, done by an arcane priesthood. It’s one of the glories of the human intellectual tradition.
—Stephen Jay Gould (1941–2002) American Paleontologist, Science Writer
It is inexcusable for scientists to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists and politicians.
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) Norwegian Playwright
Many talk like philosophers yet live like fools.
—Common Proverb
Let us not fear that the issues of natural science shall be scepticism or anarchy.—Through all God’s works there runs a beautiful harmony.—The remotest truth in his universe is linked to that which lies nearest the throne.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
They do certainly give very strange, and newfangled, names to diseases.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
Science—in other words, knowledge—is not the enemy of religion; for, if so, then religion would mean ignorance; but it is often the antagonist of school-divinity.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.
—William Lawrence Bragg (1890–1970) British Physicist
Technology does not drive change—it enables change.
—Unknown
Science is nothing but trained and organized common sense, differing from the latter only as a veteran may from a raw recruit, and its methods differ from those of common sense, only as the guardsman’s cut and thrust differ from the manner in which a savage wields his club.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
In praising science, it does not follow that we must adopt the very poor philosophies which scientific men have constructed. In philosophy they have much more to learn than to teach.
—William Motter Inge (1913–73) American Playwright, Novelist
Our lifetime may be the last that will be lived out in a technological society.
—Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British Scientist, Science-fiction Writer
Science is feasible when the variables are few and can be enumerated; when their combinations are distinct and clear. We are tending toward the condition of science and aspiring to do it. The artist works out his own formulas; the interest of science lies in the art of making science.
—Paul Valery (1871–1945) French Critic, Poet
I know of no department of natural science more likely to reward a man who goes into it thoroughly than anthropology. There is an immense deal to be done in the science pure and simple, and it is one of those branches of inquiry which brings one into contact with the great problems of humanity in every direction.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
Religions die when they are proved to be true. Science is the record of dead religions.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
We must be physicists in order to be creative since so far codes of values and ideals have been constructed in ignorance of physics or even in contradiction to physics.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
The real accomplishment of modern science and technology consists in taking ordinary men, informing them narrowly and deeply and then, through appropriate organization, arranging to have their knowledge combined with that of other specialized but equally ordinary men. This dispenses with the need for genius. The resulting performance, though less inspiring, is far more predictable.
—John Kenneth Galbraith (1908–2006) Canadian-Born American Economist
What wreath for Lamia? What for Lycius?
What for the sage, old Apollonius?
Upon her aching forehead be there hung
The leaves of willow and of adder’s tongue;
And for the youth, quick, let us strip for him
The thyrsus, that his watching eyes may swim
Into forgetfulness; and, for the sage,
Let spear-grass and the spiteful thistle wage
War on his temples. Do not all charms fly
At the mere touch of cold philosophy?
There was an awful rainbow once in heaven:
We know her woof, her texture; she is given
In the dull catalogue of common things.
Philosophy will clip an Angel’s wings,
Conquer all mysteries by rule and line,
Empty the haunted air, and gnomed mine –
Unweave a rainbow, as it erewhile made
The tender-person’d Lamia melt into a shade.
—John Keats (1795–1821) English Poet
Science is the search for truth – it is not a game in which one tries to beat his opponent, to do harm to others. We need to have the spirit of science in international affairs, to make the conduct of international affairs the effort to find t he right solution, the just solution of international problems, not the effort by each nation to get the better of other nations, to do harm to them when it is possible.
—Linus Pauling (1901–94) American Scientist, Peace Activist
Science is always wrong. It never solves a problem without creating ten more.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance.
—Hippocrates (460–370 BCE) Ancient Greek Physician
There could be whole antiworlds and antipeople made out of antiparticles. However, if you ever meet your antiself, don’t shake hands! You would both vanish in a great flash of light.
—Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) English Theoretical Physicist, Cosmologist, Academic
Where the world ceases to be the scene of our personal hopes and wishes, where we face it as free beings admiring, asking and observing, there we enter the realm of Art and Science
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
A tree growing out of the ground is as wonderful today as it ever was. It does not need to adopt new and startling methods.
—Robert Henri (1865–1929) American Painter, Teacher