A quotation from Bertrand Russell
The sceptic holds that the truth is undiscoverable, while the dogmatist holds that it is already discovered. The man of science holds that the truth is discoverable though not discovered, at any rate in the matters which he is investigating. But even to say that the truth is discoverable is to say rather more than the genuine man of science believes, since he does not conceive his discoveries as final and absolute, but as approximations subject to future correction. Absence of finality is of the essence of the scientific spirit.
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Education and the Social Order [Education and the Modern World], ch. 1 “The Individual versus the Citizen” (1932)
More about this quote: wist.info/russell-bertrand/859…
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bertrandrussell #conclusion #correction #discoverability #discovering #dogma #dogmatist #finality #investigation #knowledge #refinement #science #scientificmethod #skeptic #skepticism #truth #uncertainty
like this
Rhysy and Khurram Wadee like this.
reshared this
Science Channel, Rhysy and Khurram Wadee reshared this.
lemgandi
in reply to WIST Quotations • • •Nice quote. My favorite Bertrand Russel quote comes from an article in Harpers ( harpers.org/archive/1932/10/in… ):
Work is of two kinds: first, altering the position of matter at or near the earth’s surface relatively to other such matter; second, telling other people to do so. The first kind is unpleasant and ill paid; the second is pleasant and highly paid.
I summarize this quote often at, well . . .
In Praise of Idleness, by Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell (Harper's Magazine)WIST Quotations likes this.
WIST Quotations
in reply to lemgandi • •Nice. I'll add that one to the queue.
Alas, the Harper's article is behind their firewall.
My collection (thus far) of Russell quotes is here: wist.info/author/russell-bertr… ... I have a long list of others to post. Russell is quite quotable.