Philosophy Quotes

Questions about meaning, existence, and truth from thinkers who spent their lives searching for answers.

43879 quotes

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"In the pursuit of science, we discover ourselves."
Shinya Yamanaka
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"Moral crusades often protect the crusaders' sense of order."
Stanley Cohen
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"Every society has its scapegoats; understanding why matters."
Stanley Cohen
S
"The folk devil is society's mirror held backwards."
Stanley Cohen
S
"Moral panics are society's way of avoiding self-examination."
Stanley Cohen
K
"I've always believed that intuition and logic are not enemies, but dance partners."
Kary Mullis
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"The universe doesn't care about your preconceptions, only about what's actually true."
Kary Mullis
K
"The biggest obstacles to discovery are the things we think we already know."
Kary Mullis
K
"Life is too complicated to understand unless you're willing to embrace the mysteries."
Kary Mullis
K
"The human capacity for misunderstanding is only exceeded by the capacity for discovery."
Kary Mullis
J
"Science is humanity's conversation with nature."
John Kendrew
J
"The structure of matter reflects the structure of thought."
John Kendrew
J
"We are all made of star stuff studying its own origins."
John Kendrew
J
"Philosophy is science asking 'why'; science is philosophy asking 'how.'"
John Kendrew
H
"The simplest explanation for life's complexity is often the most elegant."
Herbert Boyer
H
"The laboratory is a monastery for those seeking truth through evidence."
Herbert Boyer
H
"In nature's algorithms lies both warning and inspiration for human progress."
Herbert Boyer
F
"To be human is to seek understanding of ourselves and our universe."
Fred Sanger
J
"Understanding ourselves at the genetic level doesn't diminish our humanity—it deepens it."
Jennifer Doudna
J
"Every discovery is a conversation between humans and nature."
Jennifer Doudna
J
"I believe we are at a pivotal moment where scientific power and wisdom must align."
Jennifer Doudna
J
"The code of life connects all living things—understanding it should inspire humility."
Jennifer Doudna
J
"Every discovery is both an ending and a beginning of new questions."
Jennifer Doudna
"Science is the conversation between mind and nature."
Karl Landsteiner
"I believe that science is a deeply human endeavor, not a sterile intellectual exercise."
Max Perutz
"Science without ethics is merely a tool for destruction."
Albert Sabin
J
"The structure reveals the function; form and purpose are inseparable."
John Kendrew
J
"The philosophy of science rests on the principle that reality can be understood."
John Kendrew
J
"Philosophy of nature begins where observation ends and wonder begins."
John Kendrew
E
"Philosophy helps us ask the right questions."
Elie Metchnikoff