Has there ever been a society which has died of dissent? Several have died of conformity in our lifetime.
Jacob BronowskiRead
Science is the acceptance of what works and the rejection of what does not. That needs more courage than we might think.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science requires courage to embrace effective ideas and discard those that fail.
In this quote, Jacob Bronowski emphasizes the fundamental aspect of science as not merely a collection of facts but a rigorous process of determining what works based on evidence. He highlights that the courage to challenge established beliefs and acknowledge failures is essential for the advancement of knowledge, suggesting that this bravery is often underestimated.
Themes
ScienceCourageAcceptanceRejectionKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on scientific methodology, you might say, 'As Jacob Bronowski pointed out, science is about the acceptance of what works and the rejection of what does not.'
More from Jacob Bronowski
All quotes →There is no absolute knowledge. And those who claim it, whether they are scientists or dogmatists, open the door to tragedy.
Jacob BronowskiRead
To me the most interesting thing about man is that he is an animal who practices art and science and in every known society practices both together.
Jacob BronowskiRead
A man becomes creative, whether he is an artist or scientist, when he finds a new unity in the variety of nature. He does so by finding a likeness between things which were not thought alike before.
Jacob BronowskiRead
The values by which we are to survive are not rules for just and unjust conduct, but are those deeper illuminations in whose light justice and injustice, good and evil, means and ends are seen in fearful sharpness of outline.
Jacob BronowskiRead
The basis for poetry and scientific discovery is the ability to comprehend the unlike in the like and the like in the unlike.
Jacob BronowskiRead
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