So long as we use a certain language, all questions that we can ask will have to be formulated in it and will thereby confirm the theory of the universe which is implied in the vocabulary and structure of the language.
Michael PolanyiRead
The amount of knowledge which we can justify from evidence directly available to us can never be large. The overwhelming proportion of our factual beliefs continue therefore to be held at second hand through trusting others, and in the great majority of cases our trust is placed in the authority of comparatively few people of widely acknowledged standing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our knowledge is often based on trust in the expertise of others rather than direct evidence.
Michael Polanyi emphasizes the limitations of our personal knowledge, suggesting that most of what we believe to be true comes from secondary sources rather than firsthand evidence. This highlights the importance of trust in authority figures and experts who shape our understanding of various subjects.
Themes
KnowledgeTrustEvidenceAuthorityBelief
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the importance of academic research in shaping opinions.
More from Michael Polanyi
All quotes →We cannot ultimately specify the grounds (either metaphysical or logical or empirical) upon which we hold that our knowledge is true. Being committed to such grounds, dwelling in them, we are projecting ourselves to what we believe to be true from or through these grounds. We cannot therefore see what they are. We cannot look at them because we are looking with them.
Michael PolanyiRead
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