Kepler Quote by Eduardo Galeano
““THE DANGEROUS VICE OF ASKING Which is worth more? Experience or doctrine? By dropping stones and pebbles, big balls and little balls, Galileo Galilei proved that velocity remains the same no matter the weight. Aristotle was wrong, and for nineteen centuries no one had noticed. Johannes Kepler, another curious fellow, discovered that plants do not rotate in circles when they follow the light over the course of a day. Wasn’t the circle supposed to be the perfect path of everything that revolves? Wasn’t the universe supposed to be the perfect work of God? “This world is not perfect, not nearly,” Kepler concluded. “Why should its paths be perfect?” His reasoning seemed suspicious to Lutherans and Catholics alike. Kepler’s mother had spent four years in prison accused of practicing witchcraft. They must have been up to something. But””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Reflections on Science and Faith, 1995
Kepler challenged Aristotle’s perfect circles, showing natural paths are imperfect, prompting questioning of assumed perfection.
In simple terms: Kepler disproved perfect circles, urging skepticism of perfection.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions and accept natural irregularities.
Themes
science
philosophy
religion
skepticism
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- education
- research
- spiritual discourse
- critical thinking
Key Concepts
empirical evidence
theory revision
human curiosity
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we cling to perfect models?
- How does imperfection affect belief systems?
A Different Perspective
May oversimplify complex scientific debates.
![“Among the great men who have philosophized about [the action of the tides], the one who surprised me most is Kepler. He was a person of independent genius, [but he] became interested in the action of the moon on the water, and in other occult phenomena, and similar childishness.” quote by Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/96d/galileo-galilei-2377_action_among-the-great-men-who-have-philosophiz_131150.jpg)
![“Foreshadowings of the principles and even of the language of [the infinitesimal] calculus can be found in the writings of Napier , Kepler , Cavalieri , Fermat , Wallis , and Barrow . It was Newton 's good luck to come at a time when everything was ripe for the discovery, and his ability enabled…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e09/anonymous-1_ability_foreshadowings-of-the-principles-and-eve_273197.jpg)
![“[Newton wrote to Halley ... that he would not give Hooke any credit] That, alas, is vanity. You find it in so many scientists. You know, it has always hurt me to think that Galileo did not acknowledge the work of Kepler.” quote by Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d8d/albert-einstein-33_acknowledge_newton-wrote-to-halley-that-he-would-not_344363.jpg)
