Our assessment of socio-economic worth is largely a sham. We scientists should not lend ourselves to it - though we routinely do. We should, instead, insist on applying the criterion of quality.
John PolanyiRead
For scholarship - if it is to be scholarship - requires, in addition to liberty, that the truth take precedence over all sectarian interests, including self-interest.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True scholarship prioritizes truth above all personal or sectarian interests.
John Polanyi emphasizes that genuine scholarship is a pursuit that requires not only freedom but also a commitment to truth. This means that academic work should transcend personal agendas or biases, and scholars must be willing to prioritize factual accuracy and objectivity over sectarian beliefs or self-serving motives. This perspective calls for integrity and honesty in the pursuit of knowledge.
Themes
ScholarshipTruthLibertyKnowledgeEducation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be cited during a lecture about academic integrity.
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It is this, at its most basic, that makes science a humane pursuit; it acknowledges the commonality of people's experience.
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When, as we must often do, we fear science, we really fear ourselves.
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