---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thus metaphysics and mathematics are…"
description: "\"Thus metaphysics and mathematics are, among all the sciences that belong to reason, those in which imagination has the greatest role. I beg pardon of t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_antiquity_thus-metaphysics-and-mathematics-are-amo_3167847.jpg"
---

#  Thus metaphysics and mathematics are, among all the…

![“Thus metaphysics and mathematics are, among all the sciences that belong to reason, those in which imagination has the greatest role. I beg pardon of those delicate spirits who are detractors of mathematics for saying this . . . . The imagination in a mathematician who creates makes no less…” quote by Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_antiquity_thus-metaphysics-and-mathematics-are-amo_3167847.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_antiquity_thus-metaphysics-and-mathematics-are-amo_3167847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_antiquity_thus-metaphysics-and-mathematics-are-amo_3167847.jpg)

> “Thus metaphysics and mathematics are, among all the sciences that belong to reason, those in which imagination has the greatest role. I beg pardon of those delicate spirits who are detractors of mathematics for saying this . . . . The imagination in a mathematician who creates makes no less difference than in a poet who invents. . . . Of all the great men of antiquity, Archimedes may be the one who most deserves to be placed beside Homer.”

[Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Imagination is vital in both mathematics and poetry, making mathematicians akin to great artists like Homer.

**In simple terms:** Imagination matters in math as much as in poetry, linking mathematicians to great creators.

Key Takeaway

Value creative thinking in scientific pursuits.

Themes

science art creativity

Mood

inspirational intellectual

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- research
- teaching
- innovation
- creative problem solving

Key Concepts

philosophy education

Questions to Reflect On

- How does imagination influence mathematical breakthroughs?
- Can artistic thinking improve scientific work?

A Different Perspective

Some view mathematics as purely logical, undervaluing imagination.

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[Antiquity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiquity/) [Archimedes Deserves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archimedes-deserves-5753341/) [Delicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delicate/) [Deserve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserve/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagination Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-mathematician-1178297/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Mathematical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematical/) [Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematician/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Metaphysics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphysics/) [Metaphysics Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphysics-mathematics-4834160/) [Pardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pardon/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reason Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-imagination-344114/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/)

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