Has there ever been a society which has died of dissent? Several have died of conformity in our lifetime.
Jacob BronowskiRead
Science is a very human form of knowledge. We are always at the brink of the known; we always feel forward for what is to be hoped. Every judgment in science stands on the edge of error and is personal. Science is a tribute to what we can know although we are fallible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science embodies human curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge, recognizing our limitations and fallibility.
This quote emphasizes that science, as a human endeavor, is characterized by our relentless quest for understanding while acknowledging our limitations and potential for error. It highlights the personal nature of scientific judgment and the hope that drives discovery, suggesting that even as we stand on the edge of knowledge, our drive to explore and learn is a tribute to our humanity and fallibility.
Themes
ScienceKnowledgeHumanityCuriosityFallibility
In practice
Example use cases
This quote would be a great addition to a science-themed speech or presentation, showcasing the relationship between science and human experience.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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