William Whewell

failure step success

"Every failure is a step to success."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

observe external thing thought reflect think

"We cannot observe external things without some degree of Thought; nor can we reflect upon our Thoughts, without being influenced in the course of our reflection by the Things which we have observed."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

catastrophist construct theory uniformitarian demolish

"The catastrophist constructs theories, the uniformitarian demolishes them."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

hypothesis explain phenomenon observe foretell predict

"The hypotheses we accept ought to explain phenomena which we have observed. But they ought to do more than this: our hypotheses ought to foretell phenomena which have not yet been observed."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

art truth means end science

"In art, truth is a means to an end; in science, it is the only end."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

idea consequence experience activity mind

"Fundamental ideas are not a consequence of experience, but a result of the particular constitution and activity of the mind, which is independent of all experience in its origin, though constantly combined with experience in its exercise."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

failure success false truth error

"Every failure is a step to success. Every detection of what is false directs us towards what is true: every trial exhausts some tempting form of error. Not only so; but scarcely any attempt is entirely a failure; scarcely any theory, the result of steady thought, is altogether false; no tempting form of Error is without some latent charm derived from Truth."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

conscience right wrong

"Conscience is the reason employed about questions of right and wrong."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

science art knowledge work

"The object of science is knowledge; the objects of art are works. In art, truth is the means to an end; in science, it is the only end. Hence the practical arts are not to be classed among the sciences."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

physician cultivator physicist scientist artist naturalist

"As we cannot use physician for a cultivator of physics, I have called him a physicist. We need very much a name to describe a cultivator of science in general. I should incline to call him a Scientist. Thus we might say, that as an Artist is a Musician, Painter or Poet, a Scientist is a Mathematician, Physicist, or Naturalist."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

facts science ideas rigor

"Facts are the materials of science, but all Facts involve Ideas. … we must, for the purposes of science, take care that the Ideas are clear and rigorously applied."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)

truth cause effect action

"In truth, we know causes only by their effects; and in order to learn the nature of the causes which modify the earth, we must study them through all ages of their action, and not select arbitrarily the period in which we live as the standard for all other epochs."

— William Whewell (1794-1866)