Being true Quote by Anthony Standen
“But although in theory physicists realize that their conclusions are ... not certainly true, this ... does not really sink into their consciousness. Nearly all the time ... they ... act as if Science were indisputably True, and what's more, as if only science were true… Any information obtained otherwise than by the scientific method, although it may be true, the scientists will call "unscientific," using this word as a smear word, by bringing in the connotation from its original [Greek] meaning, to imply that the information is false, or at any rate slightly phony.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Science of Life, Anthony Standen, 1965
Scientists often treat science as absolute truth, dismissing non‑methodological knowledge as unreliable or biased.
In simple terms: Scientists view science as absolute, rejecting other sources.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about scientific authority.
Themes
science
authority
bias
epistemology
Mood
skeptical
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
cautionary
When to use this quote
- academic research
- policy making
- public discourse
- education
- media reporting
Key Concepts
philosophy of science
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you evaluate evidence outside mainstream science?
- When might non‑scientific methods be valuable?
A Different Perspective
Science is a method, not a guarantee of infallibility.
