--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science exists, moreover, only as a…" description: "\"Science exists, moreover, only as a journey toward troth. Stifle dissent and you end that journey.\" — John Charles Polanyi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-charles-polanyi-14475_dissent_science-exists-moreover-only-as-a-journe_521909.png" --- # Science exists, moreover, only as a journey toward troth… ![“Science exists, moreover, only as a journey toward troth. Stifle dissent and you end that journey.” quote by John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-charles-polanyi-14475_dissent_science-exists-moreover-only-as-a-journe_521909.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-charles-polanyi-14475_dissent_science-exists-moreover-only-as-a-journe_521909.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-charles-polanyi-14475_dissent_science-exists-moreover-only-as-a-journe_521909.png) > “Science exists, moreover, only as a journey toward troth. Stifle dissent and you end that journey.” [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science advances through truth‑seeking; suppressing dissent halts progress. **In simple terms:** Science is a quest for truth, hindered by silence. Key Takeaway Encourage open debate. Themes science truth freedom of speech Mood inquisitive reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research labs - academic conferences - public policy - education Key Concepts epistemology critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle conflicting evidence? - What safeguards protect scientific integrity? A Different Perspective Dissent can be disruptive if not constructive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dissent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [No matter the specific techniques involved, historically mass surveillance has had several constant attributes. Initially, it is always the country’s dissidents and marginalized who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/no-matter-the-specific-techniques-involved-historically-mass-2/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [History shows that the mere existence of a mass surveillance apparatus, regardless of how it is used, is in itself sufficient to stifle dissent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/history-shows-that-the-mere-existence-of-a-mass-surveillance/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Constant pressure by Turkish consulates across the United States, as well as pervasive and continual harassment by the government in Turkey, has so far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enes-kanter/constant-pressure-by-turkish-consulates-across-the-united-states-as/) [Enes Kanter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enes-kanter/) > [The most un-American thing you can do is to stifle dissent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/utah-phillips/the-most-un-american-thing-you-can-do-is-to-stifle-dissent/) [Utah Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/utah-phillips/) > [Science is not something that exists apart from human beings. It's one of the things we do as human beings, and we always have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/science-is-not-something-that-exists-apart-from-human-beings-it-s-one/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [We should remember that science exists only because there are people, and its concepts exist only in the minds of men. Behind these concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wernher-von-braun/we-should-remember-that-science-exists-only-because-there-are-people/) [Wernher von Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wernher-von-braun/) > [Real science exists, then, only from the moment when a phenomenon is accurately defined as to its nature and rigorously determined in relation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/real-science-exists-then-only-from-the-moment-when-a-phenomenon-is/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > ['Science in itself' is nothing, for it exists only in the human beings who are its bearers. 'Science for its own sake' usually means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-virchow/science-in-itself-is-nothing-for-it-exists-only-in-the-human-beings/) [Rudolf Virchow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-virchow/) > [In the realm of science, all attempts to find any evidence of supernatural beings, of metaphysical concepts, as God, immortality, infinity, etc have thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-proteus-steinmetz/in-the-realm-of-science-all-attempts-to-find-any-evidence-of/) [Charles Proteus Steinmetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-proteus-steinmetz/) > [“Q: What can people do to defend their civil liberties? Phillips: I'm a pacifist, but the most American thing you can do is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/utah-phillips/q-what-can-people-do-to-defend-their-civil-liberties-phillips-i-m-a/) [Utah Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/utah-phillips/) > [As long as it is supported by Democratic politicians and by liberal Hollywood players, censorship is a useful tool to stifle dissent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-breitbart/as-long-as-it-is-supported-by-democratic-politicians-and-by-liberal/) [Andrew Breitbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-breitbart/) > [I find myself frequently placed where I dare give neither assent nor dissent to propositions that are submitted to me; for there is danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/i-find-myself-frequently-placed-where-i-dare-give-neither-assent-nor/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. A life lived meaningfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/if-you-want-to-live-a-meaningfully-better-life-you-re-going-to-have/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John Charles Polanyi > [The respect for human rights, essential if we are to use technology wisely, is not something alien that must be grafted onto science. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/the-respect-for-human-rights-essential-if-we-are-to-use-technology/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [In the late 1950s a major topic under discussion was whether Canada should acquire nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/in-the-late-1950s-a-major-topic-under-discussion-was-whether-canada/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [Though neglectful of their responsibility to protect science, scientists are increasingly aware of their responsibility to society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/though-neglectful-of-their-responsibility-to-protect-science/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [Some dreamers demand that scientists only discover things that can be used for good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/some-dreamers-demand-that-scientists-only-discover-things-that-can-be/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [ \[Intellectual courage is\] the quality that allows one to believe in one's judgement in the face of disappointment and widespread skepticism. Intellectual courage is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/intellectual-courage-is-the-quality-that-allows-one-to-believe-in-one/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [It takes a trained and discerning researcher to keep the goal in sight, and to detect evidence of the creeping progress toward it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/it-takes-a-trained-and-discerning-researcher-to-keep-the-goal-in/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [Individual scientists like myself - and many more conspicuous - pointed to the dangers of radioactive fallout over Canada if we were to launch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/individual-scientists-like-myself-and-many-more-conspicuous-pointed/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [At the heart of science lies discovery which involves a change in worldview. Discovery in science is possible only in societies which accord their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/at-the-heart-of-science-lies-discovery-which-involves-a-change-in/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [Science never gives up searching for truth, since it never claims to have achieved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/science-never-gives-up-searching-for-truth-since-it-never-claims-to/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [The applause is a celebration not only of the actors but also of the audience. It constitutes a shared moment of delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/the-applause-is-a-celebration-not-only-of-the-actors-but-also-of-the/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [Nothing is more irredeemably irrelevant than bad science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/nothing-is-more-irredeemably-irrelevant-than-bad-science/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [If we treasure our own experience and regard it as real, we must also treasure other people's experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/if-we-treasure-our-own-experience-and-regard-it-as-real-we-must-also/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [What makes the Universal Declaration an epochal document is first of all its global impetus and secondly the breadth of its claims, a commitment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/what-makes-the-universal-declaration-an-epochal-document-is-first-of/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [Instead, in the absence of respect for human rights, science and its offspring technology have been used in this century as brutal instruments for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/instead-in-the-absence-of-respect-for-human-rights-science-and-its/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [Though we explore in a culturally-conditioned way, the reality we sketch is universal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/though-we-explore-in-a-culturally-conditioned-way-the-reality-we/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) [Explore all 46 John Charles Polanyi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) ## More Dissent quotes > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. A life lived meaningfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/if-you-want-to-live-a-meaningfully-better-life-you-re-going-to-have/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I find myself frequently placed where I dare give neither assent nor dissent to propositions that are submitted to me; for there is danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/i-find-myself-frequently-placed-where-i-dare-give-neither-assent-nor/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [It is dissent from government policies which defines the true Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/it-is-dissent-from-government-policies-which-defines-the-true-patriot/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [In America, you can segregate the people, but the problems will travel. From slavery to equal rights, from state suppression of dissent to crime,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-jordan/in-america-you-can-segregate-the-people-but-the-problems-will-travel/) [June Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-jordan/) > [America was born of revolt, flourished in dissent, became great through experimentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/america-was-born-of-revolt-flourished-in-dissent-became-great-through/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [“I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lloyd-garrison/i-am-aware-that-many-object-to-the-severity-of-my-language-but-is/) [William Lloyd Garrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lloyd-garrison/) > [In religion, it is not the sycophants or those who cling most faithfully to the status quo who are ultimately praised. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/in-religion-it-is-not-the-sycophants-or-those-who-cling-most/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [“Protection, therefore, against tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/protection-therefore-against-tyranny-of-the-magistrate-is-not-enough/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The intolerant man will not rely on persuasion, or on the worth of the idea. He would deny to others the very freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-intolerant-man-will-not-rely-on-persuasion-or-on-the-worth-of-the/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [“That there must be heresies is true, not onely in our Church, but also in any other; even in Doctrines hereticall there will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/that-there-must-be-heresies-is-true-not-onely-in-our-church-but-also/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [In sum, the Court's conclusion that a constitutionally adequate recount is impractical is a prophecy the Court's own judgment will not allow to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/in-sum-the-court-s-conclusion-that-a-constitutionally-adequate/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [Lonely dissent doesn't feel like going to school dressed in black. It feels like going to school wearing a clown suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/lonely-dissent-doesn-t-feel-like-going-to-school-dressed-in-black-it/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) [Browse all 440 Dissent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Science exists, moreover, only as a journey toward troth. 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