Far Quote by Isaac Newton
“Hypotheses should be subservient only in explaining the properties of things but not assumed in determining them, unless so far as they may furnish experiments.”
About This Quote
Source Treat: Philosophical Treatises of Isaac Newton, 1730
Hypotheses guide explanation of observed properties but should not dictate those properties unless they enable experimental testing.
In simple terms: Hypotheses explain, not decide, unless they help experiments.
Key Takeaway
Use hypotheses to predict, not prescribe.
Themes
science
methodology
philosophy of science
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
epistemological
instructional
When to use this quote
- designing experiments
- forming scientific models
- educational curricula
- research proposals
Key Concepts
empiricism
falsifiability
theory testing
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you ensure a hypothesis remains a tool, not a rule?
- When should a hypothesis be abandoned?
A Different Perspective
Hypotheses can become entrenched, limiting creative alternatives.
![“Do not Bodies act upon Light at a distance, and by their action bend its Rays; and is not this action (caeteris paribus) [all else being equal] strongest at the least distance?” quote by Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f9c/isaac-newton-1226_action_do-not-bodies-act-upon-light-at-a-distan_90238.jpg)
![“I am ashamed to tell you to how many figures I carried these calculations [of Pi], having no other business at the time” quote by Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/93f/isaac-newton-1226_ashamed_i-am-ashamed-to-tell-you-to-how-many-fig_106544.jpg)
