--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man, so far as natural science by itself…" description: "\"Man, so far as natural science by itself is able to teach us, is no longer the final cause of the universe, the Heaven-descended heir of all the ages. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/arthur-balfour-15770_able_man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself_2935432.png" --- # Man, so far as natural science by itself is able to teach… ![“Man, so far as natural science by itself is able to teach us, is no longer the final cause of the universe, the Heaven-descended heir of all the ages. His very existence is an accident, his story a brief and transitory episode in the life of one of the meanest of the planets.” quote by Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/arthur-balfour-15770_able_man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself_2935432.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/arthur-balfour-15770_able_man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself_2935432.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/arthur-balfour-15770_able_man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself_2935432.png) > “Man, so far as natural science by itself is able to teach us, is no longer the final cause of the universe, the Heaven-descended heir of all the ages. His very existence is an accident, his story a brief and transitory episode in the life of one of the meanest of the planets.” [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Natural science no longer explains the universe’s ultimate purpose; humanity is accidental. **In simple terms:** Science isn’t the final answer to existence. Key Takeaway Seek meaning beyond science. Themes existence philosophy humanity Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - spiritual exploration - education - artistic expression - ethical debates Key Concepts cosmology anthropology Questions to Reflect On - What gives your life purpose? - How do you reconcile science and meaning? A Different Perspective Science still offers valuable insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Cause Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-universe-725000/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Episodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episodes/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Existence Accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-accident-4348425/) [Finals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finals/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Heirs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heirs/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-science/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Planets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Transitory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transitory/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-heaven-2633080/) ## Related quotes > [Not to take possession of your life plan is to let your existence be an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/not-to-take-possession-of-your-life-plan-is-to-let-your-existence-be/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [I will not let a political party tell me how to live, when to die or what to believe in. Our souls are linked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-jian/i-will-not-let-a-political-party-tell-me-how-to-live-when-to-die-or/) [Ma Jian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-jian/) > [A man would have no pleasures in discovering all the beauties of the universe, even in heaven itself, unless he had a partner to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/a-man-would-have-no-pleasures-in-discovering-all-the-beauties-of-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“I can see only three planets in the entire universe, namely Heaven, Earth and Me! Heaven shines its glory on Earth and the rays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/i-can-see-only-three-planets-in-the-entire-universe-namely-heaven/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“I am not ashamed to own that I believe that the whole universe, heaven and earth, air and seas, and the divine constitution and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/i-am-not-ashamed-to-own-that-i-believe-that-the-whole-universe-heaven/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [“I'm a little of both and not quite all of the other. I'm a part of the world and not enough of the universe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-mullican/i-m-a-little-of-both-and-not-quite-all-of-the-other-i-m-a-part-of-the/) [Lynn Mullican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-mullican/) > [The existence of a first cause of the universe is a necessity of thought ... Amid the mysteries which become more mysterious the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/the-existence-of-a-first-cause-of-the-universe-is-a-necessity-of/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Nothing exists without a cause, the original cause of this universe we call God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/nothing-exists-without-a-cause-the-original-cause-of-this-universe-we/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [There is, therefore, no difficulty in answering such questions as these. What cause was there why the Universe was placed in such a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/there-is-therefore-no-difficulty-in-answering-such-questions-as-these/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [“Whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore, the universe has a cause”). Second,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/whatever-begins-to-exist-has-a-cause-the-universe-began-to-exist/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“since time, space, and matter did not exist prior to the beginning of the universe, then the “cause” of the universe had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/since-time-space-and-matter-did-not-exist-prior-to-the-beginning-of/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [The useless search of philosophers for a cause of the universe is a regressus in infinitum (a stepping backwards into the infinite) and resembles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-buchner/the-useless-search-of-philosophers-for-a-cause-of-the-universe-is-a/) [Ludwig Buchner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-buchner/) > [ \[The evidence from cosmology\] determines that the cause of the universe is functionally equivalent to the God of the Bible, a Being beyond the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-ross/the-evidence-from-cosmology-determines-that-the-cause-of-the-universe/) [Hugh Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-ross/) > [Virtually every scientist now concedes that universe and time itself had beginning. So, whatever begins to exist has a cause. The universe began to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/virtually-every-scientist-now-concedes-that-universe-and-time-itself/) [Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/) > [You are quite, quite wrong if you think that ... I find your happiness painful. What matters is that happiness - the golden day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/you-are-quite-quite-wrong-if-you-think-that-i-find-your-happiness/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) ## More by Arthur Balfour > [Our Scottish theory ... is that every country has need of Scotchmen, but that Scotland has no need of the citizens of any other country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/our-scottish-theory-is-that-every-country-has-need-of-scotchmen-but/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [ He \[A. J. Balfour\] was eminently one of the Cole Porter school of famous men, who only fell to rise again. Picking himself up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/he-a-j-balfour-was-eminently-one-of-the-cole-porter-school-of-famous/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [In politics nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/in-politics-nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [The General Strike has taught the working class more in four days than years of talking could have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/the-general-strike-has-taught-the-working-class-more-in-four-days/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [The power of authority is never more subtle and effective than when it produces a psychological atmosphere or climate favorable to the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/the-power-of-authority-is-never-more-subtle-and-effective-than-when/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Kant, as we all know, compared moral law to the starry heavens, and found them both sublime. On the naturalistic hypothesis we should rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/kant-as-we-all-know-compared-moral-law-to-the-starry-heavens-and/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [“We survey the past, and see that its history is of blood and tears, of helpless blundering, of wild revolt, of stupid acquiescence, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/we-survey-the-past-and-see-that-its-history-is-of-blood-and-tears-of/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [I never forgive, but I always forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/i-never-forgive-but-i-always-forget/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [“Nothing matters very much and most things don't matter at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/nothing-matters-very-much-and-most-things-don-t-matter-at-all/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Biography should be written by an acute enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/biography-should-be-written-by-an-acute-enemy/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [I do not stare at a gentleman in distress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/i-do-not-stare-at-a-gentleman-in-distress/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/nothing-matters-very-much-and-few-things-matter-at-all/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [In effort Happiness idleness life pleasure superstition support trouble work The superstition that all our hours of work are a minus quantity in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/in-effort-happiness-idleness-life-pleasure-superstition-support/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Science preceded the theory of science, and is independent of it. Science preceded naturalism, and will survive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/science-preceded-the-theory-of-science-and-is-independent-of-it/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) > [Ask with urgency and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/ask-with-urgency-and-passion/) [Arthur Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) [Explore all 42 Arthur Balfour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man, so far as natural science by itself is able to teach us, is no longer the final cause of the universe, the Heaven-descended heir of all the ages. His very existence is an accident, his story a brief and transitory episode in the life of one of the meanest of the planets.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Balfour" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself-is-able-to-teach-us-is-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself-is-able-to-teach-us-is-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/arthur-balfour-15770_able_man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself_2935432.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/arthur-balfour-15770_able_man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself_2935432.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/arthur-balfour-15770_able_man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself_2935432.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man, so far as natural science by itself is able to teach us, is no longer the final cause of the universe…” — Arthur Balfour", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur Balfour", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-balfour/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man, so far as natural science...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself-is-able-to-teach-us-is-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-balfour/man-so-far-as-natural-science-by-itself-is-able-to-teach-us-is-no/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```