William Whewell Quotes

Source: History of the Inductive Sciences: I. The Greek school philosophy, with reference to physical science. II. The physical sciences in ancient Greece. III. Greek astronomy. IV. Physical science in the middle ages. V. Formal astronomy after the stationary period

“The present generation finds itself the heir of a vast patrimony of science; and it must needs concern us to know the steps by which these possessions were acquired, and the documents by which they are secured to us and our heirs for ever.”

Knows Needs Steps Generations Concern Possession Documents Heirs Secured Patrimony

Book:History of the Inductive Sciences from the Earliest to the Present Time

Source: History of the Inductive Sciences from the Earliest to the Present Time

“The earlier truths are not expelled but absorbed, not contradicted but extended; and the history of each science, which may thus appear like a succession of revolutions, is, in reality, a series of developements.”

May Reality Revolution Series Succession

Book:History of Inductive Sciences

Source: History of Inductive Sciences

“Conscience is the reason employed about questions of right and wrong.”

Reason Conscience Employed

Book:Lectures on Systematic Morality Delivered in Lent Term, 1846

Source: Lectures on Systematic Morality Delivered in Lent Term, 1846

“Every man has obligations which belong to his station. Duties extend beyond obligations, and direct the affections, desires, and intentions, as well as the actions.”

Men Wells Action Desire Duty Direct Intention Affection Every Man Obligation Stations

Book:The Elements of Morality, Including Polity

Source: The Elements of Morality, Including Polity

“Those who have obtained the farthest insight into Nature have been, in all ages, firm believers in God.”

Has Beens Age Faith Insight Believer Firm Faith In God

Author:William Whewell

“Prudence supposes the value of the end to be assumed, and refers only to the adaptation of the means. It is the relation of right means for given ends.”

Mean Ends Values Given Relation Adaptation Prudence

Book:The Elements of Morality, Including Polity

Source: The Elements of Morality, Including Polity

“The person who did most to give to analysis the generality and symmetry which are now its pride, was also the person who made mechanics analytical; I mean Euler.”

Giving Mean Persons Made Pride Analysis Mechanic Symmetry Generalities Euler

Book:History of the Inductive Sciences: From the Earliest to the Present Time

Source: History of the Inductive Sciences: From the Earliest to the Present Time

“We need very much a name to describe a cultivator of science in general. I should incline to call him a scientist. [The first use of the word.]”

Needs Should Firsts Use Names Scientist Incline

Author:William Whewell

“Geometry in every proposition speaks a language which experience never dares to utter; and indeed of which she but halfway comprehends the meaning.”

Speak Language Dare Propositions Halfway Geometry

Author:William Whewell

“Hence no force, however great, can stretch a cord, however fine, into a horizontal line which is accurately straight: there will always be a bending downwards.”

Force Lines Fine Cords Bending Horizontal Horizontal Lines

Author:William Whewell

“Every failure is a step to success.”

Success Steps Inspire Failure Moving Forward Moving On Congratulations Success Failure Steps To Success

Book:Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England

Source: Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England

“According to the technical language of old writers, a thing and its qualities are described as subject and attributes; and thus a man's faculties and acts are attributes of which he is the subject. The mind is the subject in which ideas inhere. Moreover, the man's faculties and acts are employed upon external objects; and from objects all his sensations arise. Hence the part of a man's knowledge which belongs to his own mind, is subjective: that which flows in upon him from the world external to him, is objective.”

Men World Mind Ideas Language Quality Knowledge Subjects Objects Flow Arise Objectives Faculty Sensations Attributes Employed Subjective

Book:History of Scientific Ideas: Being the First Part of The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences

Source: History of Scientific Ideas: Being the First Part of The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences

“The hypotheses we accept ought to explain phenomena which we have observed. But they ought to do more than this: our hypotheses ought to foretell phenomena which have not yet been observed.”

Science Accepting Ought Hypothesis

Book:Theory of Scientific Method

Source: Theory of Scientific Method

“But with regard to the material world, we can at least go so far as this;-we can perceive that events are brought about, not by insulated interpositions of Divine power, exerted in each particular ease, but by the establishment of general laws.”

World Law Science Events Divine Particular Materials Evolution Regard Ease Perceive Establishment Material World Divine Power Origin Of Species

Author:William Whewell

“In order that the facts obtained by observation and experiment may be capable of being used in furtherance of our exact and solid knowledge, they must be apprehended and analysed according to some Conceptions which, applied for this purpose, give distinct and definite results, such as can be steadily taken hold of and reasoned from.”

Giving May Reason Facts Science Used Purpose Order Results Knowledge Taken Capable Experiments Observation Conception Definite

Book:Novum Organon Renovatum

Source: Novum Organon Renovatum

“The hypotheses which we accept ought to explain phenomena which we have observed. But they ought to do more than this; our hypotheses ought to foretell phenomena which have not yet been observed; ... because if the rule prevails, it includes all cases; and will determine them all, if we can only calculate its real consequences. Hence it will predict the results of new combinations, as well as explain the appearances which have occurred in old ones. And that it does this with certainty and correctness, is one mode in which the hypothesis is to be verified as right and useful.”

Ifs Wells Doe Real Science Results Accepting Cases Acceptance Ought Evidence Consequence Determine Appearance Observation Certainty Combination Hypothesis Correctness

Author:William Whewell

“...the question undoubtedly is, or soon will be, not whether or no we shall employ notation in chemistry, but whether we shall use a bad and incongruous, or a consistent and regular notation.”

Use Science Consistent Chemistry Consistency

Author:William Whewell

“The object of science is knowledge; the objects of art are works. In art, truth is the means to an end; in science, it is the only end. Hence the practical arts are not to be classed among the sciences”

Knows Mean Art Ends Science Knowledge Objects Truth Is Practicals Means To An End

Book:Novum Organon Renovatum

Source: Novum Organon Renovatum

“Every failure is a step to success. Every detection of what is false directs us towards what is true: every trial exhausts some tempting form of error.”

Form Steps Errors Excellence Trials Tempting Detection Steps To Success

Book:Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England

Source: Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England

“Man is the interpreter of nature, science the right interpretation.”

Men Interpretation Interpreter

Book:The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, Founded Upon Their History: In Two Volumes

Source: The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, Founded Upon Their History: In Two Volumes

“In art, truth is a means to an end; in science, it is the only end.”

Mean Art Ends Truth Is Means To An End

Book:Aphorisms Concerning Ideas, Science & the Language of Science

Source: Aphorisms Concerning Ideas, Science & the Language of Science

“The catastrophist constructs theories, the uniformitarian demolishes them.”

Theory Constructs Demolish

Book:Novum Organon Renovatum

Source: Novum Organon Renovatum

“Fundamental ideas are not a consequence of experience, but a result of the particular constitution and activity of the mind, which is independent of all experience in its origin, though constantly combined with experience in its exercise.”

Mind Ideas Results Particular Exercise Activity Consequence Experience Constitution Independent Fundamentals

Author:William Whewell

“We cannot observe external things without some degree of Thought; nor can we reflect upon our Thoughts, without being influenced in the course of our reflection by the Things which we have observed.”

Courses Degrees Reflection Our Thoughts

Book:Elements of morality incluiding polity

Source: Elements of morality incluiding polity

“There is a mask of theory over the whole face of nature.”

Whole Faces Nature Theory Mask

Book:The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences: Founded Upon Their History

Source: The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences: Founded Upon Their History

“Gold and iron at the present day, as in ancient times, are the rulers of the world; and the great events in the world of mineral art are not the discovery of new substances, but of new and rich localities of old ones.”

World Art Science Rich Events Discovery Gold Ancient Substance Iron Rulers Present Day Minerals Ancient Times Great Events Locality

Book:Lectures on the Progress of Arts and Science, Resulting from the Great Exhibition in London ...

Source: Lectures on the Progress of Arts and Science, Resulting from the Great Exhibition in London ...

“Astronomy is ... the only progressive Science which the ancient world produced.”

World Science Accounts Ancient Astronomy Progressive Ancient World

Book:History of the Inductive Sciences: I. The Greek school philosophy, with reference to physical science. II. The physical sciences in ancient Greece. III. Greek astronomy. IV. Physical science in the middle ages. V. Formal astronomy after the stationary period

Source: History of the Inductive Sciences: I. The Greek school philosophy, with reference to physical science. II. The physical sciences in ancient Greece. III. Greek astronomy. IV. Physical science in the middle ages. V. Formal astronomy after the stationary period

“Nobody since Newton has been able to use geometrical methods to the same extent for the like purposes; and as we read the Principia we feel as when we are in an ancient armoury where the weapons are of gigantic size; and as we look at them we marvel what manner of man he was who could use as a weapon what we can scarcely lift as a burden.”

Men Feels Looks Has Beens Use Able Purpose Weapons Method Ancient Size Burden Lifts Newton Principia

Author:William Whewell

“It is a test of true theories not only to account for but to predict phenomena.”

Theory Tests Accounts

Book:The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences: Founded Upon Their History

Source: The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences: Founded Upon Their History

“The system becomes more coherent as it is further extended. The elements which we require for explaining a new class of facts are already contained in our system. In false theories, the contrary is the case.”

Facts Class Cases Theory Elements Contrary Explaining New Class

Book:Theory of Scientific Method

Source: Theory of Scientific Method

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Famous William Whewell Quotes