--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tolstoi explains somewhere in his…" description: "\"Tolstoi explains somewhere in his writings why, in his opinion, \"Science for Science's sake\" is an absurd conception. We cannot know all the facts sinc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/henri-poincare-3339_absurd_tolstoi-explains-somewhere-in-his-writin_1939071.jpg" --- # Tolstoi explains somewhere in his writings why, in his… ![“Tolstoi explains somewhere in his writings why, in his opinion, "Science for Science's sake" is an absurd conception. We cannot know all the facts since they are infinite in number. We must make a selection ... guided by utility ... Have we not some better occupation than counting the number of…” quote by Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/henri-poincare-3339_absurd_tolstoi-explains-somewhere-in-his-writin_1939071.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/henri-poincare-3339_absurd_tolstoi-explains-somewhere-in-his-writin_1939071.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/henri-poincare-3339_absurd_tolstoi-explains-somewhere-in-his-writin_1939071.jpg) > “Tolstoi explains somewhere in his writings why, in his opinion, "Science for Science's sake" is an absurd conception. We cannot know all the facts since they are infinite in number. We must make a selection ... guided by utility ... Have we not some better occupation than counting the number of lady-birds in existence on this planet?” [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science should serve practical ends, not be pursued solely for its own sake because knowledge is limitless and must be curated. **In simple terms:** Science must be useful, not just endless fact‑gathering. Key Takeaway Prioritize useful research. Themes science utility knowledge prioritization Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - policy making - research funding - education curriculum design - personal learning goals Key Concepts epistemology pragmatism selection infinite knowledge Questions to Reflect On - What criteria should guide research priorities? - How to balance curiosity with practicality? A Different Perspective Utility focus may overlook fundamental discoveries that lack immediate application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Occupation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupation/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Tolstoi explains somewhere in his writings why, in his opinion, “Science for Science's sake” is an absurd conception. We cannot know all the facts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/tolstoi-explains-somewhere-in-his-writings-why-in-his-opinion-science-2/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“With the Epicureans it was never science for the sake of science but always science for the sake of human happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/with-the-epicureans-it-was-never-science-for-the-sake-of-science-but/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [I had then and still retain an interest in science for its own sake and as a metaphor for our current lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hammill/i-had-then-and-still-retain-an-interest-in-science-for-its-own-sake/) [Peter Hammill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hammill/) > [“He was not interested in detached knowledge, science for science's sake: there was no use learning anything if it was of no use. Relevance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/he-was-not-interested-in-detached-knowledge-science-for-science-s/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > ['Science in itself' is nothing, for it exists only in the human beings who are its bearers. 'Science for its own sake' usually means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-virchow/science-in-itself-is-nothing-for-it-exists-only-in-the-human-beings/) [Rudolf Virchow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-virchow/) > [Prescriptive regulations, such as telling electric utilities what kinds of coal to burn or what kinds of scrubbers to install on their smokestacks, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-frank/prescriptive-regulations-such-as-telling-electric-utilities-what/) [Bob Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-frank/) > [There's always the tendency to transform the Church into an ethical agency, and of measuring the Church by the yardstick of social and cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lehmann/there-s-always-the-tendency-to-transform-the-church-into-an-ethical/) [Karl Lehmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lehmann/) > [But then he told himself: What does it really mean to be useful? Today's world, just as it is, contains the sum of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/but-then-he-told-himself-what-does-it-really-mean-to-be-useful-today/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [In my humble opinion, the PC as we have known it is in a continuous decline and being relegated to a utility device for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-ruiz/in-my-humble-opinion-the-pc-as-we-have-known-it-is-in-a-continuous/) [Hector Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-ruiz/) > [The height and value of true virtue consists in the facility, utility, and pleasure of its exercise; so far from difficulty, that boys, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-height-and-value-of-true-virtue-consists-in-the-facility-utility/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [“Outer happiness has Diminishing Marginal Utility; the more it grows, the satisfaction decreases. Resort to inner happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/outer-happiness-has-diminishing-marginal-utility-the-more-it-grows/) [Vikrmn: CA Vikram Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [For now, I'm supposing that all movements are equal, which they're not, except in this respect: that none of them gives a damn about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-sheed/for-now-i-m-supposing-that-all-movements-are-equal-which-they-re-not/) [Wilfrid Sheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-sheed/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) ## More by Henri Poincare > [The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/the-mathematical-facts-worthy-of-being-studied-are-those-which-by/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [If we knew exactly the laws of nature and the situation of the universe at the initial moment, we could predict exactly the situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/if-we-knew-exactly-the-laws-of-nature-and-the-situation-of-the/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Absolute space, that is to say, the mark to which it would be necessary to refer the earth to know whether it really moves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/absolute-space-that-is-to-say-the-mark-to-which-it-would-be-necessary/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Science is facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/science-is-facts/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Absolute space, that is to say, the mark to which it would be necessary to refer the earth to know whether it really moves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/absolute-space-that-is-to-say-the-mark-to-which-it-would-be-necessary-2/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [All of mathematics is a tale about groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/all-of-mathematics-is-a-tale-about-groups/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [A cat is witty, he has nerve, he knows how to do precisely the right thing at the right moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/a-cat-is-witty-he-has-nerve-he-knows-how-to-do-precisely-the-right/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [In the old days when people invented a new function they had something useful in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/in-the-old-days-when-people-invented-a-new-function-they-had/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Intuition is more important to discovery than logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/intuition-is-more-important-to-discovery-than-logic/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Mathematics has a threefold purpose. It must provide an instrument for the study of nature. But this is not all: it has a philosophical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/mathematics-has-a-threefold-purpose-it-must-provide-an-instrument-for/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Experiment is the sole source of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/experiment-is-the-sole-source-of-truth/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“ Qu'une goutee de vin tombe dans un verre d'eau; quelle que soit la loi du movement interne du liquide, nous verrons bientôt se…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/qu-une-goutee-de-vin-tombe-dans-un-verre-d-eau-quelle-que-soit-la-loi/) [Henri Poincaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [If that enabled us to predict the succeeding situation with the same approximation, that is all we require, and we should say that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/if-that-enabled-us-to-predict-the-succeeding-situation-with-the-same/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“ Le savant doit ordonner ; on fait la science avec des faits comme une maison avec des pierres ; mais une accumulation de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/le-savant-doit-ordonner-on-fait-la-science-avec-des-faits-comme-une/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) [Explore all 130 Henri Poincare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) ## More Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. 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For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought to myself: if it’s true that every person has a star in the sky, mine must be distant, dim, and absurd. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/i-thought-to-myself-if-it-s-true-that-every-person-has-a-star-in-the/) [Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. 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