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Since science's competence extends to observable and measurable phenomena, not to the inner being of things, and to the means, not to the ends of human life, it would be nonsense to expect that the progress of science will provide men with a new type of metaphysics, ethics, or religion.
Jacques Maritain
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Science can only analyze observable phenomena and does not address existential or moral questions.

Jacques Maritain emphasizes that while science excels at understanding and measuring the physical world, it cannot provide answers to deeper existential, ethical, or metaphysical questions. This limitation suggests that human life requires perspectives beyond empirical evidence, indicating that metaphysics and ethics lie outside the purview of scientific inquiry.

Themes

SciencePhilosophyEthicsMetaphysicsHuman Life

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the limits of scientific inquiry, this quote can help illustrate the necessity of philosophical thought.

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