Experimental science Quote by José Ortega y Gasset
““Scientific truth is characterized by its exactness and the rigorous quality of its assumptions. But experimental science wins these admirable qualities at the cost of maintaining itself on a plane of secondary problems and leaving the decisive and ultimate questions intact. Out of this renunciation it makes its essential virtue, and for this, if for nothing else, it deserves applause. But experimental science is only a meager portion of the mind and the organism. Where it stops, man does not stop. If the physicist stays the hand with which he delineates things at the point where his methods end, the human being who stands behind every physicist prolongs the line and carries it on to the end, just as our eye, seeing a portion of a broken arch, automatically completes the missing airy curve.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Limits of Science" (1935)
Science excels in precision but leaves deeper existential questions unanswered; human imagination must bridge the gaps.
In simple terms: Science is precise but incomplete; imagination fills the void.
Key Takeaway
Balance scientific rigor with creative inquiry.
Themes
science
philosophy
creativity
knowledge limits
human imagination
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
balanced
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- research design
- philosophical debate
- artistic creation
- education curriculum
Key Concepts
epistemology
metaphysics
scientific method
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we integrate imagination without compromising scientific standards?
- What are the ultimate questions science cannot answer?
A Different Perspective
May undervalue empirical rigor.
