Your corn is ripe today; mine will be so tomorrow. 'Tis profitable for us both, that I should labour with you today, and that you should aid me tomorrow.
David HumeRead
While Newton seemed to draw off the veil from some of the mysteries of nature, he showed at the same time the imperfections of the mechanical philosophy; and thereby restored her ultimate secrets to that obscurity, in which they ever did and ever will remain.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that while Newton advanced our understanding of nature, he also highlighted the limitations of mechanistic explanations, leaving some mysteries unsolved.
David Hume reflects on the contributions of Isaac Newton to the understanding of nature, acknowledging that although Newton was able to clarify certain phenomena, he simultaneously exposed the shortcomings of a purely mechanical view of the universe. Hume implies that there will always be aspects of nature that remain enigmatic and will elude complete understanding, suggesting a limit to human knowledge.
Themes
NewtonMysteriesNaturePhilosophyMechanicalKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on the nature of scientific inquiry, one could use this quote to illustrate the limits of mechanistic explanations.
More from David Hume
All quotes →Eloquence, at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection, but addresses itself entirely to the desires and affections, captivating the willing hearers, and subduing their understanding.
David HumeRead
All that belongs to human understanding, in this deep ignorance and obscurity, is to be sceptical, or at least cautious, and not to admit of any hypothesis whatever, much less of any which is supported by no appearance of probability.
David HumeRead
The great end of all human industry is the attainment of happiness
David HumeRead
There is a very remarkable inclination in human nature to bestow on external objects the same emotions which it observes in itself, and to find every where those ideas which are most present to it.
David HumeRead
To have recourse to the veracity of the supreme Being, in order to prove the veracity of our senses, is surely making a very unexpected circuit.
David HumeRead
Similar quotes
All things human hang by a slender thread; and that which seemed to stand strong suddenly falls and sinks in ruins.
OvidRead
. . . as to moral feeling, this supposed special sense, the appeal to it is indeed superficial when those who cannot think believe that feeling will help them out, even in what concerns general laws: and besides, feelings which naturally differ infinitely in degree cannot furnish a uniform standard of good and evil, nor has any one a right to form judgments for others by his own feelings. . . .
Immanuel KantRead
The 'frankness' of people sunk below shame is a very cheap frankness.
C. S. LewisRead
There is an odd assumption that compassion and care are finite or that critics can be everything to everyone - commenting on everything simply because they can. That's not what cultural criticism is.
Roxane GayRead
But the truth is that no person ever understands another, from beginning to end of life, there is no truth that can be known, only the story we imagine to be true, the story they really believe to be true about themselves; and all of them lies.
Orson Scott CardRead
Now, we occupy a lowly position, both in space and rank in comparison with the heavenly sphere, and the Almighty is Most High not in space, but with respect to absolute existence, greatness and power.
MaimonidesRead