Amusement Quote by Henry Adams
![“After Gibbs, one the most distinguished [American scientists] was Langley, of the Smithsonian. ... He had the physicist's heinous fault of professing to know nothing between flashes of intense perception. ... Rigidly denying himself the amusement of philosophy, which consists chiefly in suggesting…” quote by Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/569/henry-adams-1542_amusement_after-gibbs-one-the-most-distinguished-a_2216409.jpg)
“After Gibbs, one the most distinguished [American scientists] was Langley, of the Smithsonian. ... He had the physicist's heinous fault of professing to know nothing between flashes of intense perception. ... Rigidly denying himself the amusement of philosophy, which consists chiefly in suggesting unintelligible answers to insoluble problems, and liked to wander past them in a courteous temper, even bowing to them distantly as though recognizing their existence, while doubting their respectibility.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Education of Henry Adams, Henry Adams, 1907
Langley avoided philosophy, preferring empirical perception while dismissing abstract speculation.
In simple terms: He chose data over theory, ignoring deeper questions.
Key Takeaway
Balance empirical work with philosophical inquiry.
Themes
science
philosophy
humility
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- research
- teaching
- policy making
Key Concepts
epistemology
scientific method
intellectual humility
Questions to Reflect On
- How does philosophy enrich scientific practice?
- When is skepticism toward theory beneficial?
A Different Perspective
Neglecting philosophy can limit insight into meaning.
![“By analyzing data from Greenwich Observatory in the period 1836-1953, John A. Eddy [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and High Altitude Observatory in Boulder] and Aram A. Boornazian [mathematician with S. Ross and Co. in Boston] have found evidence that the sun has been contracting…” quote by Jonathan Sarfati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ffc/jonathan-sarfati-57366_analyzing_by-analyzing-data-from-greenwich-observa_2468812.jpg)
![“I've always wanted to visit [Washington]. The Smithsonian has some fantastic archival material on blues music, which I'm really into. There's a ton of stuff I want to do there. but it just never happened.” quote by Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8f5/dylan-moran-1716_blues-music_i-ve-always-wanted-to-visit-washington-t_1791507.jpg)
