A great empire and little minds go ill together.
Edmund BurkeRead
Nnothing tends more to the corruption of science than to suffer it to stagnate. These waters must be troubled, before they can exert their virtues.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science flourishes through challenge and exploration rather than complacency.
Edmund Burke suggests that stagnation is detrimental to the advancement of science. He implies that for scientific understanding to truly thrive and reveal its potential, it must be actively challenged, explored, and stirred, much like stagnant waters that need to be disturbed to bring forth their life-giving properties.
Themes
ScienceCorruptionStagnationExplorationAdvancement
In practice
Example use cases
In a scientific conference, you could use this quote to emphasize the importance of innovation in research.
More from Edmund Burke
All quotes βTo read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.
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Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver.
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The hottest fires in hell are reserved for those who remain neutral in times of moral crisis.
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Society can overlook murder, adultery or swindling; it never forgives preaching of a new gospel.
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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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