--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The hypothesis of God, for instance…" description: "\"“The hypothesis of God, for instance, gives an incomparably absolute opportunity to understand everything and know absolutely nothing. Give man an extr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/arkady-strugatsky-21134_knowledge_the-hypothesis-of-god-for-instance-gives_294464.jpg" --- # The hypothesis of God, for instance, gives an incomparably… ![“The hypothesis of God, for instance, gives an incomparably absolute opportunity to understand everything and know absolutely nothing. Give man an extremely simplified system of the world and explain every phenomenon away on the basis of that system. An approach like that doesn't require any…” quote by Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/arkady-strugatsky-21134_knowledge_the-hypothesis-of-god-for-instance-gives_294464.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/arkady-strugatsky-21134_knowledge_the-hypothesis-of-god-for-instance-gives_294464.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/arkady-strugatsky-21134_knowledge_the-hypothesis-of-god-for-instance-gives_294464.jpg) > ““The hypothesis of God, for instance, gives an incomparably absolute opportunity to understand everything and know absolutely nothing. Give man an extremely simplified system of the world and explain every phenomenon away on the basis of that system. An approach like that doesn't require any knowledge. Just a few memorized formulas plus so-called intuition and so-called common sense.”” [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Simplistic explanations claim to explain everything, but they hide the depth of true understanding. **In simple terms:** Easy answers hide real knowledge. Key Takeaway Seek depth, not just formulas. Themes knowledge simplicity illusion Mood skeptical inquisitive Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - education - scientific research - philosophical debate Key Concepts epistemology critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - Why do we favor simple models? - How can we balance intuition with rigorous study? A Different Perspective Risk of oversimplification leading to ignorance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God Instance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-instance-2825836/) [Hypothesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis/) [Hypothesis God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis-god-2543798/) [Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition/) [Intuition Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition-called-1515616/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ## Related quotes > [The hypothesis of God offers no worthwhile explanation for anything, for it simply postulates what we are trying to explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-hypothesis-of-god-offers-no-worthwhile-explanation-for-anything/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [How can this strange story of God made flesh, of a crucified Savior, of resurrection and new creation become credible for those whose entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesslie-newbigin/how-can-this-strange-story-of-god-made-flesh-of-a-crucified-savior-of/) [Lesslie Newbigin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesslie-newbigin/) > [Science offers us an explanation of how complexity (the difficult) arose out of simplicity (the easy). The hypothesis of God offers no worthwhile explanation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/science-offers-us-an-explanation-of-how-complexity-the-difficult/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“And some scientists and other intellectuals are convinced—too eagerly in my view—that the question of God's existence belongs in the forever inaccessible PAP category.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/and-some-scientists-and-other-intellectuals-are-convinced-too-eagerly/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [On pragmatistic principles, if the hypothesis of God works satisfactorily in the widest sense of the word, it is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/on-pragmatistic-principles-if-the-hypothesis-of-god-works/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Intuition, they called it, but Strike knew it to be the reading of subtle signs, the subconscious joining of dots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/intuition-they-called-it-but-strike-knew-it-to-be-the-reading-of/) [Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/) > [Our own intuition of what we're called to is reality speaking to us individually and perfectly. We have to listen to how the Infinite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/our-own-intuition-of-what-we-re-called-to-is-reality-speaking-to-us/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [Talking to a peasant one day, I suggested to him the hypothesis that there might indeed be a God who governs heaven and earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-unamuno/talking-to-a-peasant-one-day-i-suggested-to-him-the-hypothesis-that/) [Miguel de Unamuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-unamuno/) > [“One reader of an early draft of this chapter complained at this point, saying that by treating the hypothesis of God as just one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-c-dennett/one-reader-of-an-early-draft-of-this-chapter-complained-at-this-point/) [Daniel C. Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-c-dennett/) > [“For modern cosmology God cannot be a working hypothesis because God is not given to us in the observable nature of things. The poetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-joseph-hoffmann/for-modern-cosmology-god-cannot-be-a-working-hypothesis-because-god/) [R. Joseph Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-joseph-hoffmann/) > [Her professors were astonished by her leaps of thought, by the finesse and elegance of her insights. She arrived at hypotheses by sheer intuition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-eisenberg/her-professors-were-astonished-by-her-leaps-of-thought-by-the-finesse/) [Deborah Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-eisenberg/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculations-run-beyond-the-bounds-of/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [The greatest problem for mathematicians now is probably the Riemann Hypothesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiles/the-greatest-problem-for-mathematicians-now-is-probably-the-riemann/) [Andrew Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiles/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More by Arkady Strugatsky > [“He stretched his huge hands toward her. She timidly reached for him and immediately shrank back. On his fingers … But it wasn’t blood—only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/he-stretched-his-huge-hands-toward-her-she-timidly-reached-for-him/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“Śmierć nie może człowieka tak okaleczyć, tylko życie to potrafi. Ono mnie też okaleczy i nic na to nie można poradzić. Nie trzeba się…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/mier-nie-mo-e-cz-owieka-tak-okaleczy-tylko-ycie-to-potrafi-ono-mnie/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“a man who is well brought-up may read anything. The only people who boggle at what is perfectly natural are those who are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/a-man-who-is-well-brought-up-may-read-anything-the-only-people-who/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“This use of ordinary people as the principal characters was fairly rare in science fiction when the book came out, and even now the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/this-use-of-ordinary-people-as-the-principal-characters-was-fairly/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“If God undertakes to clean an outhouse, let him not believe that his hands will remain clean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/if-god-undertakes-to-clean-an-outhouse-let-him-not-believe-that-his/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“INTERVIEWER: You probably mean stalkers? DR. PILLMAN: I’m not familiar with the term. INTERVIEWER: That’s what the residents of Harmont call the desperate young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/interviewer-you-probably-mean-stalkers-dr-pillman-i-m-not-familiar/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“He gives me a look, and I see that he’s in no mood for jokes. He’s right—this is no joke. But when you’re leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/he-gives-me-a-look-and-i-see-that-he-s-in-no-mood-for-jokes-he-s/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“Strange department, this. Their motto was: "The comprehension of Infinity requires infinite time." I did not argue with that, but then they derived an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/strange-department-this-their-motto-was-the-comprehension-of-infinity/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“You’re absolutely right. Our little town is a hole. It always has been and still is. But now it is a hole into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/you-re-absolutely-right-our-little-town-is-a-hole-it-always-has-been/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“The problem is we don’t notice the years pass, he thought. Screw the years—we don’t notice things change. We know that things change, we’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/the-problem-is-we-don-t-notice-the-years-pass-he-thought-screw-the/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“HAPPINESS FOR EVERYBODY, FREE, AND NO ONE WILL GO AWAY UNSATISFIED!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/happiness-for-everybody-free-and-no-one-will-go-away-unsatisfied/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“A może w tym świecie w ogóle nie można inaczej i żeby dokonać czegoś pożytecznego trzeba najpierw robić rzeczy idiotyczne?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/a-mo-e-w-tym-wiecie-w-og-le-nie-mo-na-inaczej-i-eby-dokona-czego-po/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“...It's like trying to fit an octopus into a pair of tuxedo pants. And not a plain octopus at that, but an octopus that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/it-s-like-trying-to-fit-an-octopus-into-a-pair-of-tuxedo-pants-and/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“Look into my soul, I know - everything you need is in there. It has to be. Because I've never sold my soul to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/look-into-my-soul-i-know-everything-you-need-is-in-there-it-has-to-be/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) > [“Intelligence is the ability to harness the powers of the surrounding world without destroying the said world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arkady-strugatsky/intelligence-is-the-ability-to-harness-the-powers-of-the-surrounding/) [Arkady Strugatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) [Explore all 26 Arkady Strugatsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arkady-strugatsky/) ## More Hypothesis quotes > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The greatest problem for mathematicians now is probably the Riemann Hypothesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiles/the-greatest-problem-for-mathematicians-now-is-probably-the-riemann/) [Andrew Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiles/) > [I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculations-run-beyond-the-bounds-of/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Whether statistics be an art or a science... or a scientific art, we concern ourselves little. It is the basis of social and political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolphe-quetelet/whether-statistics-be-an-art-or-a-science-or-a-scientific-art-we/) [Adolphe Quetelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolphe-quetelet/) > [In science, each new result, sometimes quite surprising, heralds a step forward and allows one to discard some hypotheses, even though one or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-b-prusiner/in-science-each-new-result-sometimes-quite-surprising-heralds-a-step/) [Stanley B. Prusiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-b-prusiner/) > [It is a good morning exercise for a research scientist to discard a pet hypothesis every day before breakfast. It keeps him young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/it-is-a-good-morning-exercise-for-a-research-scientist-to-discard-a/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“The only part of evolution in which any considerable interest is felt is evolution applied to man. A hypothesis in regard to the rocks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/the-only-part-of-evolution-in-which-any-considerable-interest-is-felt/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [The religious hypothesis, therefore, must be considered only as a particular method of accounting for the visible phenomena of the universe: but no just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-religious-hypothesis-therefore-must-be-considered-only-as-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [From the almost total absence of fossil evidence relative to the origin of the phyla, it follows that any explanation of the mechanism in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/from-the-almost-total-absence-of-fossil-evidence-relative-to-the/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [Whenever known and sufficient causes are available, it is anti-scientific to discard them in favour of a hypothesis that can never be verified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/whenever-known-and-sufficient-causes-are-available-it-is-anti/) [Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/) > [...but then the general trouble with ignorance is always that the ignorant person has no idea that that's what they are. You can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/but-then-the-general-trouble-with-ignorance-is-always-that-the/) [Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [Even mistaken hypotheses and theories are of use in leading to discoveries. This remark is true in all the sciences. The alchemists founded chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/even-mistaken-hypotheses-and-theories-are-of-use-in-leading-to/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [If I were to awaken after having slept for a thousand years, my first question would be: Has the Riemann hypothesis been proven?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hilbert/if-i-were-to-awaken-after-having-slept-for-a-thousand-years-my-first/) [David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hilbert/) [Browse all 582 Hypothesis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The hypothesis of God, for instance, gives an incomparably absolute opportunity to understand everything and know absolutely nothing. Give man an extremely simplified system of the world and explain every phenomenon away on the basis of that system. 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