Objective truth Quote by C.S. Lewis
““The physical sciences, good and innocent in themselves, had already... begun to be warped, had been subtly manoeuvred in a certain direction. Despair of objective truth had been increasingly insinuated into the scientists; indifference to it, and a concentration upon mere power, had been the result… The very experiences of the dissecting room and the pathological laboratory were breeding a conviction that the stifling of all deep-set repugnances was the first essential for progress.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis, 1942
Science can be twisted by power motives, eroding objective truth and fostering indifference, while institutions may suppress dissent to claim progress.
In simple terms: Science can be misused for power, hurting truth.
Key Takeaway
Beware bias, protect integrity.
Themes
ethics
science
power
truth
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- policy making
- medical practice
- technology development
Key Concepts
philosophy
institutional critique
moral relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we safeguard truth in research?
- What pressures can corrupt scientific work?
A Different Perspective
Power can also drive genuine discovery, making the critique too one‑sided.
![“[T]his progress of the physical sciences, which the passions and interest do not interfere to disturb; wherein it is not thought that birth, profession, or appointment have given a right to judge what the individual is not in a situation to understand; this more certain progress cannot be…” quote by Marquis de Condorcet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/390/marquis-de-condorcet-78083_every-step_t-his-progress-of-the-physical-sciences_656762.jpg)
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