Has there ever been a society which has died of dissent? Several have died of conformity in our lifetime.
Jacob BronowskiRead
It is not the business of science to inherit the earth, but to inherit the moral imagination; because without that, man and beliefs and science will perish together.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science should focus on ethical considerations and the moral impact of its discoveries.
In this quote, Jacob Bronowski emphasizes that the role of science extends beyond mere acquisition of knowledge or dominance over the Earth. Instead, he argues that scientists must engage with moral imagination, as it is this ethical framework that ensures the survival of humanity's beliefs and the responsible application of scientific progress. Without such imagination, both scientific advancement and human values risk extinction.
Themes
ScienceMoral ImaginationEthicsHumanityBeliefs
In practice
Example use cases
During a seminar on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
More from Jacob Bronowski
All quotes βThere is no absolute knowledge. And those who claim it, whether they are scientists or dogmatists, open the door to tragedy.
Jacob BronowskiRead
To me the most interesting thing about man is that he is an animal who practices art and science and in every known society practices both together.
Jacob BronowskiRead
A man becomes creative, whether he is an artist or scientist, when he finds a new unity in the variety of nature. He does so by finding a likeness between things which were not thought alike before.
Jacob BronowskiRead
The values by which we are to survive are not rules for just and unjust conduct, but are those deeper illuminations in whose light justice and injustice, good and evil, means and ends are seen in fearful sharpness of outline.
Jacob BronowskiRead
The basis for poetry and scientific discovery is the ability to comprehend the unlike in the like and the like in the unlike.
Jacob BronowskiRead
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