Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.
Max PlanckRead
Anybody who has been seriously engaged in scientific work of any kind realizes that over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are written the words: 'Ye must have faith.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scientific inquiry requires a profound belief in the principles and potential of science.
Max Planck's quote emphasizes that despite the rigorous methods and evidence-based approach of science, there remains an essential element of faith in the scientific endeavor. This faith is not a blind belief, but rather a deep trust in the scientific process, the quest for knowledge, and the hope that future discoveries will unravel the mysteries of the universe.
Themes
ScienceFaithKnowledgeInquiryDiscovery
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about the importance of scientific research, this quote can emphasize the role of belief in innovation.
More from Max Planck
All quotes →No burden is so heavy for a man to bear as a succession of happy days.
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It is not the possession of truth, but the success which attends the seeking after it, that enriches the seeker and brings happiness to him.
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We have no right to assume that any physical laws exist, or if they have existed up until now, that they will continue to exist in a similar manner in the future.
Max PlanckRead
Experiment is the only means of knowledge at our disposal. Everything else is poetry, imagination.
Max PlanckRead
There is no matter as such—mind is the matrix of all matter.
Max PlanckRead
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