--- title: "Best Claude Bernard Sayings" description: "Claude Bernard was a French physiologist. I. Bernard Cohen of Harvard University called Bernard \"one of the greatest of all men of science\". He originat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b056/author-claude-bernard-7455.jpg" --- ![Portrait of Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b056/author-claude-bernard-7455.jpg) # Claude Bernard (1813–1878) Physician Writer **91** quotes in **438** categories Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet Claude Bernard was a physician writer, best known for *Antonio Lopez-Garcia*. ## Quick Facts About Claude Bernard Born July 12, 1813 Died February 10, 1878 Profession Physician Writer Notable works Antonio Lopez-Garcia ## About Claude Bernard Claude Bernard was a French physiologist. I. Bernard Cohen of Harvard University called Bernard "one of the greatest of all men of science". He originated the term milieu intérieur and the associated concept of homeostasis. ## Quotes by Claude Bernard · Page 3 > [Theories are like a stairway; by climbing, science widens its horizon more and more, because theories embody and necessarily include proportionately more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/theories-are-like-a-stairway-by-climbing-science-widens-its-horizon/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_theories-are-like-a-stairway-by-climbing_2271463.png) > [A man of science rises ever, in seeking truth; and if he never finds it in its wholeness, he discovers nevertheless very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/a-man-of-science-rises-ever-in-seeking-truth-and-if-he-never-finds-it/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_a-man-of-science-rises-ever-in-seeking-t_1136891.jpg) > [If I had to define life in a single phrase, I should clearly express my thought of throwing into relief one characteristic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/if-i-had-to-define-life-in-a-single-phrase-i-should-clearly-express/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Biological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biological/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/claude-bernard-7455_biological_if-i-had-to-define-life-in-a-single-phra_67466.jpg) > [The true worth of an experimenter consists in his pursuing not only what he seeks in his experiment, but also what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/the-true-worth-of-an-experimenter-consists-in-his-pursuing-not-only/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Experiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiment/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/claude-bernard-7455_experiment_the-true-worth-of-an-experimenter-consis_1134613.png) > [The doubter is a true man of science: he doubts only himself and his interpretations, but he believes in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/the-doubter-is-a-true-man-of-science-he-doubts-only-himself-and-his/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/claude-bernard-7455_believe_the-doubter-is-a-true-man-of-science-he_2579956.png) > [ \[Those\] who have an excessive faith in their theories or in their ideas are not only poorly disposed to make discoveries, but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/those-who-have-an-excessive-faith-in-their-theories-or-in-their-ideas/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/claude-bernard-7455_discovery_those-who-have-an-excessive-faith-in-the_508168.png) > [It is impossible to devise an experiment without a preconceived idea; devising an experiment, we said, is putting a question; we never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/it-is-impossible-to-devise-an-experiment-without-a-preconceived-idea/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/claude-bernard-7455_absolutes_it-is-impossible-to-devise-an-experiment_3145655.jpg) > [Real science exists, then, only from the moment when a phenomenon is accurately defined as to its nature and rigorously determined in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/real-science-exists-then-only-from-the-moment-when-a-phenomenon-is/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_real-science-exists-then-only-from-the-m_1031187.png) > [When entering on new ground we must not be afraid to express even risky ideas so as to stimulate research in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/when-entering-on-new-ground-we-must-not-be-afraid-to-express-even/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Entering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entering/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/claude-bernard-7455_entering_when-entering-on-new-ground-we-must-not_2677818.png) > [Mediocre men often have the most acquired knowledge. It is in the darker. It is in the darker regions of science that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/mediocre-men-often-have-the-most-acquired-knowledge-it-is-in-the/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/claude-bernard-7455_great-men_mediocre-men-often-have-the-most-acquire_38477.jpg) > [It has often been said that, to make discoveries, one must be ignorant. This opinion, mistaken in itself, nevertheless conceals a truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/it-has-often-been-said-that-to-make-discoveries-one-must-be-ignorant/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Agree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/claude-bernard-7455_agree_it-has-often-been-said-that-to-make-disc_1257729.jpg) ## Claude Bernard by topic [Science (70)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/claude-bernard/) [Theory (16)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/claude-bernard/) [Research (16)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/claude-bernard/) [Men (16)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/claude-bernard/) [Facts (15)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/claude-bernard/) [Experiments (14)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/claude-bernard/) [Observation (13)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/claude-bernard/) [Mind (13)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/claude-bernard/) [Ideas (13)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/claude-bernard/) [Discovery (12)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/claude-bernard/) [Psychology (10)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/claude-bernard/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/#itemlist", "name": "Claude Bernard Quotes", "numberOfItems": 11, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Theories are like a stairway; by climbing, science widens its horizon more and more, because theories embody and necessarily include proportionately more facts as they advance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/theories-are-like-a-stairway-by-climbing-science-widens-its-horizon/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_theories-are-like-a-stairway-by-climbing_2271463.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_theories-are-like-a-stairway-by-climbing_2271463.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_theories-are-like-a-stairway-by-climbing_2271463.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Theories are like a stairway; by climbing, science widens its horizon more and more, because theories embody…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man of science rises ever, in seeking truth; and if he never finds it in its wholeness, he discovers nevertheless very significant fragments; and these fragments of universal truth are precisely what constitutes science.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/a-man-of-science-rises-ever-in-seeking-truth-and-if-he-never-finds-it/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_a-man-of-science-rises-ever-in-seeking-t_1136891.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_a-man-of-science-rises-ever-in-seeking-t_1136891.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_a-man-of-science-rises-ever-in-seeking-t_1136891.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man of science rises ever, in seeking truth; and if he never finds it in its wholeness, he discovers…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I had to define life in a single phrase, I should clearly express my thought of throwing into relief one characteristic which, in my opinion, sharply differentiates biological science. I should say: life is creation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/if-i-had-to-define-life-in-a-single-phrase-i-should-clearly-express/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/claude-bernard-7455_biological_if-i-had-to-define-life-in-a-single-phra_67466.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/claude-bernard-7455_biological_if-i-had-to-define-life-in-a-single-phra_67466.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/178/claude-bernard-7455_biological_if-i-had-to-define-life-in-a-single-phra_67466.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I had to define life in a single phrase, I should clearly express my thought of throwing into relief one…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The true worth of an experimenter consists in his pursuing not only what he seeks in his experiment, but also what he did not seek.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/the-true-worth-of-an-experimenter-consists-in-his-pursuing-not-only/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/claude-bernard-7455_experiment_the-true-worth-of-an-experimenter-consis_1134613.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/claude-bernard-7455_experiment_the-true-worth-of-an-experimenter-consis_1134613.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/claude-bernard-7455_experiment_the-true-worth-of-an-experimenter-consis_1134613.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The true worth of an experimenter consists in his pursuing not only what he seeks in his experiment, but…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The doubter is a true man of science: he doubts only himself and his interpretations, but he believes in science.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/the-doubter-is-a-true-man-of-science-he-doubts-only-himself-and-his/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/claude-bernard-7455_believe_the-doubter-is-a-true-man-of-science-he_2579956.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/claude-bernard-7455_believe_the-doubter-is-a-true-man-of-science-he_2579956.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/claude-bernard-7455_believe_the-doubter-is-a-true-man-of-science-he_2579956.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The doubter is a true man of science: he doubts only himself and his interpretations, but he believes in…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[Those] who have an excessive faith in their theories or in their ideas are not only poorly disposed to make discoveries, but they also make very poor observations.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/those-who-have-an-excessive-faith-in-their-theories-or-in-their-ideas/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/claude-bernard-7455_discovery_those-who-have-an-excessive-faith-in-the_508168.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/claude-bernard-7455_discovery_those-who-have-an-excessive-faith-in-the_508168.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/claude-bernard-7455_discovery_those-who-have-an-excessive-faith-in-the_508168.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[Those] who have an excessive faith in their theories or in their ideas are not only poorly disposed to make…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is impossible to devise an experiment without a preconceived idea; devising an experiment, we said, is putting a question; we never conceive a question without an idea which invites an answer. I consider it, therefore, an absolute principle that experiments must always be devised in view of a preconceived idea, no matter if the idea be not very clear nor very well defined.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/it-is-impossible-to-devise-an-experiment-without-a-preconceived-idea/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/claude-bernard-7455_absolutes_it-is-impossible-to-devise-an-experiment_3145655.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/claude-bernard-7455_absolutes_it-is-impossible-to-devise-an-experiment_3145655.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/claude-bernard-7455_absolutes_it-is-impossible-to-devise-an-experiment_3145655.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is impossible to devise an experiment without a preconceived idea; devising an experiment, we said, is…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Real science exists, then, only from the moment when a phenomenon is accurately defined as to its nature and rigorously determined in relation to its material conditions, that is, when its law is known. Before that, we have only groping and empiricism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/real-science-exists-then-only-from-the-moment-when-a-phenomenon-is/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_real-science-exists-then-only-from-the-m_1031187.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_real-science-exists-then-only-from-the-m_1031187.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/claude-bernard-7455_accounts_real-science-exists-then-only-from-the-m_1031187.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Real science exists, then, only from the moment when a phenomenon is accurately defined as to its nature and…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When entering on new ground we must not be afraid to express even risky ideas so as to stimulate research in all directions. As Priestley put it, we must not remain inactive through false modesty based on fear of being mistaken.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/when-entering-on-new-ground-we-must-not-be-afraid-to-express-even/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/claude-bernard-7455_entering_when-entering-on-new-ground-we-must-not_2677818.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/claude-bernard-7455_entering_when-entering-on-new-ground-we-must-not_2677818.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/claude-bernard-7455_entering_when-entering-on-new-ground-we-must-not_2677818.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When entering on new ground we must not be afraid to express even risky ideas so as to stimulate research in…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mediocre men often have the most acquired knowledge. It is in the darker. It is in the darker regions of science that great men are recognized; they are marked by ideas which light up phenomena hitherto obscure and carry science forward.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/mediocre-men-often-have-the-most-acquired-knowledge-it-is-in-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/claude-bernard-7455_great-men_mediocre-men-often-have-the-most-acquire_38477.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/claude-bernard-7455_great-men_mediocre-men-often-have-the-most-acquire_38477.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/claude-bernard-7455_great-men_mediocre-men-often-have-the-most-acquire_38477.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mediocre men often have the most acquired knowledge. It is in the darker. It is in the darker regions of…” — Claude Bernard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It has often been said that, to make discoveries, one must be ignorant. This opinion, mistaken in itself, nevertheless conceals a truth. It means that it is better to know nothing than to keep in mind fixed ideas based on theories whose confirmation we constantly seek, neglecting meanwhile everything that fails to agree with them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/it-has-often-been-said-that-to-make-discoveries-one-must-be-ignorant/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/claude-bernard-7455_agree_it-has-often-been-said-that-to-make-disc_1257729.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/claude-bernard-7455_agree_it-has-often-been-said-that-to-make-disc_1257729.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/claude-bernard-7455_agree_it-has-often-been-said-that-to-make-disc_1257729.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It has often been said that, to make discoveries, one must be ignorant. 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I. Bernard Cohen of Harvard University called Bernard \"one of the greatest of all men of science\". 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