Able Quote by Isaac Newton
“I have not been able to discover the cause of those properties of gravity from phenomena, and I frame no hypotheses; for whatever is not deduced from the phenomena is to be called a hypothesis, and hypotheses, whether metaphysical or physical, whether of occult qualities or mechanical, have no place in experimental philosophy.”
About This Quote
Source Letter: Correspondence with Robert Hooke, 1675
Only phenomena should guide scientific theories; unverified speculation is not science.
In simple terms: Science needs evidence.
Key Takeaway
Base theories on observable data.
Themes
science
methodology
skepticism
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
academic
When to use this quote
- research design
- education
- policy making
- technology development
Key Concepts
empiricism
philosophy of science
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence do you need to trust a claim?
- How do you balance speculation and data?
A Different Perspective
Strict empiricism may limit creative hypothesis generation.
![“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)
