In politics nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.
Arthur BalfourRead
But science is the great instrument of social change, all the greater because its object is not change but knowledge, and its silent appropriation of this dominant function, amid the din of political and religious strife, is the most vital of all the revolutions which have marked the development of modern civilisation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science drives social change by prioritizing knowledge over direct political or religious conflict.
In this quote, Balfour emphasizes the pivotal role of science in fostering social change by its relentless pursuit of knowledge. He argues that while political and religious debates often dominate the discourse, it is the quiet yet powerful influence of scientific advancements that catalyze significant shifts in modern civilization, underscoring the importance of understanding and discovery in driving societal progress.
Themes
ScienceSocial ChangeKnowledgeCivilizationProgress
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about innovation, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of scientific research in shaping our future.
More from Arthur Balfour
All quotes →It is unfortunate, considering that enthusiasm moves the world, that so few enthusiasts can be trusted to speak the truth.
Arthur BalfourRead
Similar quotes
But I don't see myself as a woman in science. I see myself as a scientist.
Donna StricklandRead
Science is only ‘one’ of the many instruments people invented to cope with their surroundings. It is not the only one, it is not infallible and it has become too powerful, too pushy and too dangerous to be left on its own.
Paul FeyerabendRead
There we measure shadows, and we search among ghostly errors of measurement for landmarks that are scarcely more substantial.
Edwin Powell HubbleRead
God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on.
Neil Degrasse TysonRead
If you go down through the horizon of a black hole, at the center you don't find a tunnel that leads you to some other place in the universe.
Kip ThorneRead
Before the discovery of quantum mechanics, the framework of physics was this: If you tell me how things are now, I can then use the laws of physics to calculate, and hence predict, how things will be later.
Brian GreeneRead