Home / Topics / Theory Quotes

Theory Quotes

Browse 4151 quotes about Theory.

Theory Quotes

“I have just finished my sketch of my species theory. If as I believe that my theory is true & if it be accepted even by one competent judge, it will be a considerable step in science. I therefore write this, in case of my sudden death, as my most solemn & last request, which I am sure you will consider the same as if legally entered in my will, that you will devote 400£ to its publication & further will yourself, or through Hensleigh [Wedgwood], take trouble in promoting it.”

Source: On Evolution: The Development of the Theory of Natural Selection

“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. Not only so; but scarcely any attempt is entirely a failure; scarcely any theory, the result of steady thought, is altogether false; no tempting form of Error is without some latent charm derived from Truth.”

Form Results Steps Theory Failure Errors Trials Charm Steady Tempting Latent Detection Steps To Success

Book:Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England

Source: Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy in England

“A correct theory is the first step towards improvement, by showing what we need and what we might accomplish.”

Needs Firsts Might Steps Theory Accomplish Improvement First Steps

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“A hypothetical theory is necessary, as a preliminary step, to reduce the expression of the phenomena to simplicity and order before it is possible to make any progress in framing an abstractive theory.”

Order Steps Progress Expression Theory Simplicity Hypothetical Framing

Book:Miscellaneous Scientific Papers

Source: Miscellaneous Scientific Papers

“Second, I use inference from technical studies and theories in order to provide practical information for therapists. Those thoughts are several steps removed from scientific validity.”

Use Order Steps Study Information Theory Practicals Therapists Validity Inference

Author:Virgil Miller Newton

“The greatest step forward would be to see that everything factual is already theory. The blueness of the sky reveals the basic lawof chromatics. Don't look for anything behind the phenomena, they themselves are the doctrine.”

Looks Would Be Behinds Steps Sky Theory Doctrine Steps Forward Factual

Author:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Science is not about control. It is about cultivating a perpetual condition of wonder in the face of something that forever grows one step richer and subtler than our latest theory about it. It is about reverence, not mastery.”

Faces Grows Wonder Steps Forever Conditions Theory Reverence Mastery Perpetual Cultivating Natural Science

Author:Richard Powers

“The first step toward the management of disease was replacement of demon theories and humours theories by the germ theory. That very step, the beginning of hope, in itself dashed all hopes of magical solutions. It told workers that progress would be made stepwise, at great effort, and that a persistent, unremitting care would have to be paid to a discipline of cleanliness. So it is with software engineering today.”

“A holistic solution to income inequality is going to take a lot of work, but every time you prove that one of the strands is achievable and that it has a positive impact on people's lives you take another step towards proving the bigger theory of the case.”

People Steps Cases Theory Prove Solutions Bigger Impact Income Inequality Progressive Holistic Strands Income Inequality Positive Impact

Author:Bill de Blasio

“No theory changes what it is a theory about. Nothing is changed because we look at it, talk about it, or analyze it in a new way. Keats drank confusion to Newton for analyzing the rainbow, but the rainbow remained as beautiful as ever and became for many even more beautiful. Man has not changed because we look at him, talk about him, and analyze him scientifically. ... What does change is our chance of doing something about the subject of a theory. Newton's analysis of the light in a rainbow was a step in the direction of the laser.”

Men Way Looks Doe Light Beautiful Chance Steps Subjects Changed Theory Confusion Analysis Rainbow New Ways Drank Newton Analyzing Lasers

Author:B. F. Skinner

“I've concluded that getting the categories right is an absolutely crucial step to building useful management theory, and unfortunately too few writers do this. You've got to engage in serious scholarship, and then figure out how to write it in a way that lots of people can understand.”

People Way Writing Steps Figures Building Serious Theory Management Categories Crucial Scholarship

Author:Clayton Christensen

“But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff you will fall; you don't have to collect data on that.”

Ifs Fall Steps Example Theory Practicals Data Gravity Cliffs

Author:Clayton Christensen

“[How to think about a problem:] The first step is to make the problem specific . . . ; The second step is to form theories freely of how to rid yourself of that burden . . . ; The third step is to develop in foresight the consequences of your proposals . . . ; The fourth and final step in thinking is to compare the consequences of your proposals to see which is best in the light of your scheme of life as a whole . . . ; Whether you choose a vacation or a spouse, a party or a candidate, a cause to contribute to or a creed to live by - think!”

“Evolutionary theory tends to explain quite well in retrospect how various species emerged. It's not very good on prediction. Nevertheless, one cannot say that there isn't a lot of knowledge that's been obtained in this field. In the same way, with these complex physical phenomena between solid state physics, you can say a lot of things without necessarily knowing the next step.”

Way Wells States Next Steps Knowing Fields Theory Species Complexes Very Good Various Physics Nevertheless Predictions Next Steps Retrospect

Author:Kenneth Arrow

“I cannot help fearing that men may reach a point where they look on every new theory as a danger, every innovation as a toilsome trouble, every social advance as a first step toward revolution, and that they may absolutely refuse to move at all.”