Has there ever been a society which has died of dissent? Several have died of conformity in our lifetime.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The core values guiding humanity are deep insights that clarify our understanding of justice and morality.
Jacob Bronowski's quote reveals that the essential values necessary for our survival are not merely rules dictating right and wrong, but rather profound understandings that illuminate our perceptions of justice, injustice, good, evil, and the purpose of our actions. These insights provide a clearer perspective on the complexities of ethical dilemmas, encouraging a deeper comprehension beyond superficial norms.
Themes
ValuesJusticeMoralityUnderstandingSurvivalEthics
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethical decision-making, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of deeper understanding in determining right from wrong.
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 basis for poetry and scientific discovery is the ability to comprehend the unlike in the like and the like in the unlike.
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The world today is made, it is powered by science; and for any man to abdicate an interest in science is to walk with open eyes towards slavery.
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