Memory has always fascinated me. Think of it. You can recall at will your first day in high school, your first date, your first love.
Eric KandelRead
Ever since the Enlightenment, people thought that we were living in a rational universe. They thought that God was a mathematician and that the function of the scientist was to figure out the mathematical rules whereby the universe was created.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the belief that the universe operates according to logical and mathematical principles, suggesting a divine rationality behind existence.
Eric Kandel's quote highlights a significant shift in human thought that began during the Enlightenment, where the universe was perceived as governed by rational laws, often attributed to a mathematical creator. This notion suggests that science's role is to uncover the intricate mathematical principles behind the creation and functioning of the universe, framing humanity's quest for knowledge as both an intellectual and spiritual pursuit.
Themes
EnlightenmentRationalityUniverseMathematicsScience
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on the philosophy of science, one might quote this to discuss the historical perspective on rationality in the universe.
More from Eric Kandel
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I was interested in the nature of human mental processes, which is what got me interested in psychoanalysis. And it became clear to me after a while that mental processes come from the brain, and in order to understand them, you need to be a biologist of the brain.
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In art, as in science, reductionism does not trivialize our perception - of color, light, and perspective - but allows us to see each of these components in a new way.
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