If one were to bring ten of the wisest men in the world together and ask them what was the most stupid thing in existence, they would not be able to discover anything so stupid as astrology.
David HilbertRead
Wir mussen wissen. Wir werden wissen. We must know. We will know. Inscribed on his tomb in Gilttingen.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of knowledge and the pursuit of understanding.
David Hilbert's quote underscores a profound commitment to knowledge and the belief in humanity's capacity to learn and discover. It reflects the idea that acquiring knowledge is both a necessity and an inevitability, suggesting that the quest for understanding is a fundamental aspect of human existence and advancement.
Themes
KnowledgeUnderstandingPursuitLearningWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech, one might say this quote to inspire students to embrace lifelong learning.
More from David Hilbert
All quotes βThe art of doing mathematics consists in finding that special case which contains all the germs of generality.
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The further a mathematical theory is developed, the more harmoniously and uniformly does its construction proceed, and unsuspected relations are disclosed between hitherto separated branches of the science.
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Mathematics is a game played according to certain simple rules with meaningless marks on paper.
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No one shall expel us from the paradise that Cantor has created for us.
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Mathematical science is in my opinion an indivisible whole, an organism whose vitality is conditioned upon the connection of its parts.
David HilbertRead
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He who allows oppression shares the crime.
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