QuoteProject
We are caught up in a paradox, one which might be called the paradox of conceptualization. The proper concepts are needed to formulate a good theory, but we need a good theory to arrive at the proper concepts.
Abraham Kaplan
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote highlights the cyclical relationship between concepts and theories in understanding complex ideas.

Abraham Kaplan's quote addresses the intricate interplay between concepts and theories in the pursuit of knowledge. It suggests that while accurate conceptual frameworks are essential for developing strong theories, those same theories are required to refine and improve our understanding of concepts. This paradox illustrates the challenges faced in intellectual endeavors, where the path to clarity is often convoluted and reciprocal.

Themes

ConceptsTheoriesUnderstandingKnowledgeParadox

In practice

Example use cases

In a philosophy class discussing the nature of knowledge and understanding.

More from Abraham Kaplan

Give a small boy a hammer and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.
Abraham KaplanRead

Similar quotes

The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.
Swami VivekanandaRead
Money has transformed every watchdog, every independent authority. Medical doctors are increasingly gulled by the lobbying of pharmaceutical salesmen.
Thomas FrankRead
Our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they're sinners can bring democracy the tolerance it requires to survive
Ronald ReaganRead
I am your dwarf. I am the enemy within. I am the boss of your dreams. See. Your hand shakes. It is not palsy or booze. It is your Doppelganger trying to get out. Beware...Beware...
Anne SextonRead
Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.
Edmund BurkeRead
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
Thomas PaineRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.