Absolute certainty Quote by Carl Sagan
““Humans may crave absolute certainty; they may aspire to it; they may pretend, as partisans of certain religions do, to have attained it. But the history of science — by far the most successful claim to knowledge accessible to humans — teaches that the most we can hope for is successive improvement in our understanding, learning from our mistakes, an asymptotic approach to the Universe, but with the proviso that absolute certainty will always elude us.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Cosmos, Carl Sagan, 1980
Science progresses through continual refinement, never achieving absolute certainty, but improving understanding over time.
In simple terms: Science improves, never guarantees certainty.
Key Takeaway
Accept uncertainty, keep learning.
Themes
science
knowledge
uncertainty
progress
humility
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- Research projects
- Every decisions
- Personal beliefs
- Policy making
Key Concepts
Epistemology
Scientific method
Fallibilism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you handle decisions without full certainty?
- What role does doubt play in innovation?
A Different Perspective
Absolute certainty is unattainable, which can cause anxiety or indecision.
![“[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion, why do you not believe in materialistic science, which has an unparalleled record of fulfilled prophecy? Consider, for example, eclipses.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/875/carl-sagan-160_belief_when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-a_25095.jpg)
![“We do know, with absolute certainty, that [Saddam] is using his procurement system to acquire the equipment he needs in order to enrich uranium to build a nuclear weapon.” quote by Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cb4/dick-cheney-1810_absolute-certainty_we-do-know-with-absolute-certainty-that_363969.jpg)
