Has there ever been a society which has died of dissent? Several have died of conformity in our lifetime.
I set out to show that there exists single creative activity,which is displayed alike in the arts and in the sciences.It is wrong to think of science as a mechanical record of facts, and it is wrong to think of the arts as remote and private fancies. What makes each human, what makes them universal, is the stamp of the creative mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of creativity in both the arts and sciences, challenging the notion that they are separate.
Jacob Bronowski's quote highlights that creativity is a fundamental human trait that is expressed through both artistic endeavors and scientific pursuits. He argues against viewing science merely as a collection of data without creativity and the arts as isolated expressions, positing instead that the essence of humanity lies in our shared ability to create, innovate, and think imaginatively across different fields.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the value of arts education, this quote could inspire participants to consider the role of creativity in both fields.
More from Jacob Bronowski
All quotes →There is no absolute knowledge. And those who claim it, whether they are scientists or dogmatists, open the door to tragedy.
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.
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.
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.
The basis for poetry and scientific discovery is the ability to comprehend the unlike in the like and the like in the unlike.
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