The progress of mankind is due exclusively to the progress of natural sciences, not to
morals, religion, or philosophy.
—Justus von Liebig, 1866
Scientific thought is not an accompaniment or condition of human progress, but human
progress itself.
—William Kingdon Clifford, 1872
The acquisition and systematization of positive knowledge are the only human activities
which are truly cumulative and progressive.
—George Sarton, 1936
Science is the only human activity that is truly progressive.
—Edwin Powell Hubble, 1936
Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first
which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence.
—Louis Pasteur, 1876
Science is much more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of thinking.
—Carl Sagan, 1989
Science is the acceptance of what works and the rejection of what does not. That needs
more courage than we might think.
—Jacob Bronowski, 1951
Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.
—Adam Smith, 1776
***
Science [consists of] the most complete possible presentation of facts with the least possible
expenditure of thought.
—Ernst Mach, 1893
A science is any discipline in which the fool of this generation can go beyond the point
reached by the genius of the last generation.
—Max Gluckman, 1965
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.
—Isaac Newton, 1675
2
2
This famous statement is actually a self-depreciating twist of an earlier (circa 1126) maxim by
Saint Bernard: “We are like dwarfs perched on the shoulders of giants, and thus are able to see
more and farther than they did”, which is possibly based on an even earlier (*500 AD) pronouncement by Latin grammarian Priscian.
26
On Science and Technology
morals, religion, or philosophy.
—Justus von Liebig, 1866
Scientific thought is not an accompaniment or condition of human progress, but human
progress itself.
—William Kingdon Clifford, 1872
The acquisition and systematization of positive knowledge are the only human activities
which are truly cumulative and progressive.
—George Sarton, 1936
Science is the only human activity that is truly progressive.
—Edwin Powell Hubble, 1936
Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first
which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence.
—Louis Pasteur, 1876
Science is much more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of thinking.
—Carl Sagan, 1989
Science is the acceptance of what works and the rejection of what does not. That needs
more courage than we might think.
—Jacob Bronowski, 1951
Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.
—Adam Smith, 1776
***
Science [consists of] the most complete possible presentation of facts with the least possible
expenditure of thought.
—Ernst Mach, 1893
A science is any discipline in which the fool of this generation can go beyond the point
reached by the genius of the last generation.
—Max Gluckman, 1965
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.
—Isaac Newton, 1675
2
2
This famous statement is actually a self-depreciating twist of an earlier (circa 1126) maxim by
Saint Bernard: “We are like dwarfs perched on the shoulders of giants, and thus are able to see
more and farther than they did”, which is possibly based on an even earlier (*500 AD) pronouncement by Latin grammarian Priscian.
26
On Science and Technology