Science Quote by Janis Tomlinson Félix Guattari Graham Burchell III Gilles Deleuze
““As for the other aspect, creative or signed enunciation, it is clear that scientific propositions and their correlates are just as signed or created as philosophical concepts: we speak of Pythagoras’s theorem, Cartesian coordinates, Hamiltonian number, and Lagrangian function just as we speak of the Platonic Idea or Descartes’s cogito and the like. But however much the use of proper names clarifies and confirms the historical nature of their link to these enunciations, these proper names are masks for other becomings and serve only as pseudonyms for more secret singular entities””
About This Quote
Source Philosophical essay, 1985
Scientific concepts are named and thus masked, serving as pseudonyms for deeper, secret entities.
In simple terms: Names conceal deeper meanings.
Key Takeaway
Look beyond labels to understand core ideas.
Themes
philosophy
science
language
semiotics
conceptual analysis
Mood
analytical
critical
theoretical
Type
science:1
philosophical concepts:1
descartes cogito:0
created philosophical:0
scientific propositions:1
idea descartes:0
When to use this quote
- academic seminars
- critical reading groups
- interdisciplinary research
- teaching philosophy
Key Concepts
ontology
epistemology
structuralism
post‑structuralism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do names shape our perception of ideas?
- What are the “secret singular entities” behind terms?
A Different Perspective
Risk of over‑abstracting practical science.
