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To know the history of science is to recognize the mortality of any claim to universal truth.
Evelyn Fox Keller
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Understanding science's history shows us that no claim to universal truth is permanent.

Evelyn Fox Keller's quote suggests that by studying the evolution of scientific thought, we become aware of the transient nature of knowledge and truth. Science continually revises its theories and conclusions based on new evidence, which teaches us humility regarding our current understanding and the claims we make about universal truths.

Themes

ScienceTruthHistoryKnowledgePhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a lecture about the philosophy of science.

More from Evelyn Fox Keller

I believe in truths, but I don't believe in the Truth. Furthermore, I think that vision of an underlying Truth, with as capital T, that scientists are privy to, has been a very counterproductive vision. It has served scientists very well, but what it has done, above all, is encloses the world of science and immunize it from criticism.
Evelyn Fox KellerRead

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