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Facts Quotes

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Facts Quotes

“To modern educated people, it seems obvious that matters of fact are to be ascertained by observation, not by consulting ancient authorities. But this is an entirely modern conception, which hardly existed before the seventeenth century.”

People Matter Facts Seems Modern Century Authority Ancient Obvious Educated Observation Conception Matter Of Fact Consulting

Book:The Impact of Science On Society

Source: The Impact of Science On Society

“I can conceive few human states more enviable than that of the man to whom, panting in the foul laboratory, or watching for his life under the tropic forest, Isis shall for a moment lift her sacred veil, and show him, once and for ever, the thing he dreamed not of; some law, or even mere hint of a law, explaining one fact; but explaining with it a thousand more, connecting them all with each other and with the mighty whole, till order and meaning shoots through some old Chaos of scattered observations.”

Source: Selections from Some of the Writings of the Rev. C. Kingsley, M.A.

“While those whom devotion to abstract discussions has rendered unobservant of the facts are too ready to dogmatize on the basis of a few observations.”

Facts Ready Bases Devotion Observation Discussion Abstract

Author:Aristotle

“It is the close observation of little things which is the secret of success in business, in art, in science, and in every pursuit in life. Human knowledge is but an accumulation of small facts made by successive generations of men--the little bits of knowledge and experience carefully treasured up by them growing at length into a mighty pyramid.”

Source: Self-help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct

“Intellect begins with the observation of nature, proceeds to memorize and classify the facts thus observed, and by logical deduction builds up that edifice of knowledge properly called science But admittedly we also know by feeling, and we can combine the two faculties, and present knowledge in the guise of art.”

Knows Art Two Facts Feelings Intellect Observation Logical Faculty Guise Deductions Edifice

Book:Selected writings: poetry and criticism

Source: Selected writings: poetry and criticism

“Facts have to be discovered by observation, not by reasoning”

Facts Observation Reasoning

Book:History of Western Philosophy: Collectors Edition

Source: History of Western Philosophy: Collectors Edition

“If science were nothing more than the best means of teaching the love of the simple fact, the indispensable need of verification, of careful and accurate observation and statement, its value would be of the highest order.”

Ifs Needs Mean Facts Would Be Values Order Simple Teaching Highest Careful Statements Observation Accurate Indispensable Verification

Book:Aphorisms and Reflections: Conduct, Culture and Religion

Source: Aphorisms and Reflections: Conduct, Culture and Religion

“I sought in political reporting what Galsworthy in another context had called "the significant trifle" - the bit of dialogue, the overlooked fact, the buried observation which illuminated the realities of the situation.”

Facts Reality Political Bits Situation Significant Dialogue Observation Buried Trifles Overlooked

Book:The Best of I.F. Stone

Source: The Best of I.F. Stone

“I have argued that a religion or a philosophy cannot speak about facts of the world - if it does, it is now or will eventually be wrong - but it can and should speak about the relevance and ranking of facts and observations.”

Ifs World Should Doe Philosophy Facts Speak Observation Relevance Ranking

Author:Erik Naggum

“We doubt that any facts actually exist. We only have observations and interpretations. Most of the interpretations remain questionable.”

Facts Doubt Observation Interpretation Questionable

Author:Peter J. Carroll

“It is a commonplace observation that liberals believe in the perfectibility of man while conservatives believe in the endurance of original sin. Superficially, that would suggest that conservatives take a more understanding and indulgent view of individual lapses, while liberals take a more harshly judgmental one. In fact, we know, quite the opposite is the case.”

Knows Men Believe Facts Individual Understanding Sin Views Cases Opposites Originals Observation Endurance Commonplace Judgmental Original Sin Lapses

Book:In Defense of Elitism

Source: In Defense of Elitism

“It is possible to express the laws of thermodynamics in the form of independent principles , deduced by induction from the facts of observation and experiment, without reference to any hypothesis as to the occult molecular operations with which the sensible phenomena may be conceived to be connected; and that course will be followed in the body of the present treatise. But, in giving a brief historical sketch of the progress of thermodynamics, the progress of the hypothesis of thermic molecular motions cannot be wholly separated from that of the purely inductive theory.”

Source: A Manual of the Steam Engine and Other Prime Movers by William John Macquorn Rankine

“All mass movements strive, therefore, to interpose a fact-proof screen between the faithful and the realities of the world. They do this by claiming that the ultimate and absolute truth is already embodied in their doctrine and that there is no truth nor certitude outside it. The facts on which the true believer bases his conclusions must not be derived from his experience or observation but from holy writ.”

Source: Between the Devil and the Dragon: The Best Essays and Aphorisms of Eric Hoffer

“An ideologue - one who thinks ideologically - can't lose. He can't lose because his answer, his interpretation and his attitude have been determined in advance of the particular experience or observation. They are derived from the ideology, and not subject to the facts.”

“Religion is based upon blind faith supported by no evidence. Science is based upon confidence that results from evidence - and that confidence can be modified and/or reversed by further observations and experimentation. Science approaches truth, closer and closer, by hard dedicated work. Religion already has it all decided, and it's in the book. It's dogma, unchangeable, and unaffected by reality and whatever facts we come upon in the real world.”

World Book Real Hard Facts Reality Results Atheism Approach Evidence Decided Blind Positive Atheism Observation Real World Dedicated Dogma Experimentation Blind Faith Unchangeable

Author:James Randi