Jacob Bronowski

students ragamuffin worship question knowledge

“It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it.”

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

man master nature force understanding

“Man masters nature not by force, but by understanding”

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

absolute knowledge scientist dogmatist tragedy

“There is no absolute knowledge. And those who claim it, whether they are scientists or dogmatists, open the door to tragedy.”

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

essence science impertinent question answer

“That is the essence of science: ask an impertinent question, and you are on the way to the pertinent answer.”

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

science human knowledge fallible

"Science is a very human form of knowledge. We are always at the brink of the known; we always feel forward for what is to be hoped. Every judgment in science stands on the edge of error and is personal. Science is a tribute to what we can know although we are fallible."

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

air lungs 100000000000 atoms breathe michelangelo moses

"The air in a man's lungs 10,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000 atoms, so that sooner or later every one of us breathes an atom that has been breathed before by anyone you can think of who has ever lived - Michelangelo or George Washington or Moses."

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

knowledge adventure edge uncertaity

"Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty."

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

dissent mark freedom

"Dissent is the mark of freedom."

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)

science art copy nature re-creation

"Science, like art, is not a copy of nature but a re-creation of her."

― Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974)