Confused Quote by Erwin Chargaff
“Science is wonderfully equipped to answer the question 'How?' but it gets terribly confused when you ask the question 'Why?'”
About This Quote
Science excels at mechanistic explanations but struggles with purpose or meaning.
In simple terms: Science answers how, not why.
Key Takeaway
Accept limits of scientific explanation.
Themes
science
knowledge
limits
Mood
inquisitive
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- research
- education
- public policy
- ethical debates
Key Concepts
epistemology
philosophy of science
causality
Questions to Reflect On
- Can science ever explain purpose?
- How do we fill the 'why' gap?
A Different Perspective
Scientific methods may not address existential questions.
![“[I]n science we have to be particularly cautious about 'why' questions. When we ask, 'Why?' we usually mean 'How?' If we can answer the latter, that generally suffices for our purposes. For example, we might ask: 'Why is the Earth 93 million miles from the Sun?' but what we really probably mean…” quote by Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/564/lawrence-m-krauss-2566_purpose_i-n-science-we-have-to-be-particularly-c_1080225.jpg)
![“He [said of one or other eminent colleagues] is a very busy man, and half of what he publishes is true, but I don't know which half.” quote by Erwin Chargaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f64/erwin-chargaff-28739_busy_he-said-of-one-or-other-eminent-colleagu_1397729.jpg)
![“The modern version of Buridan's ass [a figurative description of a man of indecision] has a Ph.D., but no time to grow up as he is undecided between making a Leonardo da Vinci in the test tube or planting a Coca Cola sign on Mars.” quote by Erwin Chargaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/696/erwin-chargaff-28739_ass_the-modern-version-of-buridan-s-ass-a-fi_2127462.jpg)
