--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we wish to draw philosophical…" description: "\"If we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own existence, our significance, and the significance of the universe itself, our conclusions sh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/lawrence-m-krauss-2566_conclusion_if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclus_3103234.png" --- # If we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own… ![“If we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own existence, our significance, and the significance of the universe itself, our conclusions should be based on empirical knowledge. A truly open mind means forcing our imaginations to conform to the evidence of reality, and not vice versa…” quote by Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/lawrence-m-krauss-2566_conclusion_if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclus_3103234.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/lawrence-m-krauss-2566_conclusion_if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclus_3103234.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/lawrence-m-krauss-2566_conclusion_if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclus_3103234.png) > “If we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own existence, our significance, and the significance of the universe itself, our conclusions should be based on empirical knowledge. A truly open mind means forcing our imaginations to conform to the evidence of reality, and not vice versa, whether or not we like the implications.” [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophical conclusions should be grounded in empirical evidence, not imagination. **In simple terms:** Base beliefs on data, not wishful thinking. Key Takeaway Seek evidence‑based understanding. Themes philosophy science empiricism Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - ethical debates - cosmology - personal meaning - public discourse Key Concepts evidence open mind reality Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile data with personal belief? - What limits does empirical focus impose? A Different Perspective Emotions and intuition also shape human perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) [Conform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conform/) [Draw Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draw-philosophical-5386912/) [Draws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Open mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-mind/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophical Conclusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical-conclusions-5386910/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Conclusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-conclusions-5386911/) [Vice versa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice-versa/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [A truly open mind means forcing our imaginations to conform to the evidence of reality, and not vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/a-truly-open-mind-means-forcing-our-imaginations-to-conform-to-the/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [ Yet man does recognise himself \[as an animal\]. But I ask you and the whole world for a generic differentia between man and ape… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-linnaeus/yet-man-does-recognise-himself-as-an-animal-but-i-ask-you-and-the/) [Carl Linnaeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-linnaeus/) > [You cannot reform your society or institution without opening your mind. So the core issue is how to open the mind, the whole society,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/you-cannot-reform-your-society-or-institution-without-opening-your/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [A classic is classic not because it conforms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions (of which its author had quite probably never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/a-classic-is-classic-not-because-it-conforms-to-certain-structural/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [No one familiar with the common law of England can read the Constitution of the United States without observing the great desire of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-freeman-miller/no-one-familiar-with-the-common-law-of-england-can-read-the/) [Samuel Freeman Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-freeman-miller/) > [More importantly, the Court forgets that ours is a government of laws and not of men. That means we are governed by the terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/more-importantly-the-court-forgets-that-ours-is-a-government-of-laws/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [You know the question: 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall?' Answer: 'Practise?' Well, in my case, I got there by not practising. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/you-know-the-question-how-do-you-get-to-carnegie-hall-answer-practise/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [ \[An engineer's\] invention causes things to come into existence from ideas, makes world conform to thought; whereas science, by deriving ideas from observation, makes… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-mitcham/an-engineer-s-invention-causes-things-to-come-into-existence-from/) [Carl Mitcham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-mitcham/) > [Public and private funds have been thrown around like confetti at a country fair, to close up and destroy clinics, hospitals, and scientific research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-fitzgerald/public-and-private-funds-have-been-thrown-around-like-confetti-at-a/) [Benedict Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-fitzgerald/) > [The survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature, but the fittest are rarely the strong. The fittest are those endowed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-smalley/the-survival-of-the-fittest-is-the-ageless-law-of-nature-but-the/) [Dave Smalley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-smalley/) > [What draws friends together does not conform to the laws of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/what-draws-friends-together-does-not-conform-to-the-laws-of-nature/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [The male dares to be different to the degree that he accepts his passivity and his desire to be female, his fagginess. The farthest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-solanas/the-male-dares-to-be-different-to-the-degree-that-he-accepts-his/) [Valerie Solanas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-solanas/) > [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/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More by Lawrence M. Krauss > [If our species is to survive, our future will probably require outposts beyond our own planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-our-species-is-to-survive-our-future-will-probably-require/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [Our modern conception of the universe is so foreign to what even scientists generally believed a mere century ago that it is a tribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/our-modern-conception-of-the-universe-is-so-foreign-to-what-even/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [The Internet is a clear example of how our lives have changed in ways we couldn't have imagined: a distributed information source, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/the-internet-is-a-clear-example-of-how-our-lives-have-changed-in-ways/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“He always found a simple, easy way to reach the correct answer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/he-always-found-a-simple-easy-way-to-reach-the-correct-answer/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [Now, almost one hundred years later, it is difficult to fully appreciate how much our picture of the universe has changed in the span…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/now-almost-one-hundred-years-later-it-is-difficult-to-fully/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“the universe is big and old and, as a result, rare events happen all the time. Go out some night into the woods or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/the-universe-is-big-and-old-and-as-a-result-rare-events-happen-all/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [Science is not just there for technology. It's part of what addressing who you are in the universe and understanding your place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/science-is-not-just-there-for-technology-it-s-part-of-what-addressing/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [Teaching and writing, to me, is really just seduction; you go to where people are and you find something that they're interested in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/teaching-and-writing-to-me-is-really-just-seduction-you-go-to-where/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [There are areas of philosophy that are important, but I think of them as being subsumed by other fields. In the case of descriptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/there-are-areas-of-philosophy-that-are-important-but-i-think-of-them/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [If innovations were predictable, they wouldn't be discoveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-innovations-were-predictable-they-wouldn-t-be-discoveries/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. and, the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/every-atom-in-your-body-came-from-a-star-that-exploded-and-the-atoms/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“(For those who like to quote Aristotle’s wisdom when appealing to his “Prime Mover” argument for the existence of God, let us remember that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/for-those-who-like-to-quote-aristotle-s-wisdom-when-appealing-to-his/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [A snowflake is another beautifully ordered example of what simple, natural meteorological processes can produce. Stars form by gravity, collapsing into spherically ordered structures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/a-snowflake-is-another-beautifully-ordered-example-of-what-simple/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“One of the most poetic facts I know about the universe is that essentially every atom in your body was once inside a star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/one-of-the-most-poetic-facts-i-know-about-the-universe-is-that/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [Science is only truly consistent with an atheistic worldview with regards to the claimed miracles of the gods of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/science-is-only-truly-consistent-with-an-atheistic-worldview-with/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) [Explore all 161 Lawrence M. Krauss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) ## More Conclusion quotes > [I'm not going to be part of looking at information only partially. I'm not going to be part of just coming to quick conclusions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cleland/i-m-not-going-to-be-part-of-looking-at-information-only-partially-i-m/) [Max Cleland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cleland/) > [From what I have seen, I am driven to the conclusion that religion is only good for good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/from-what-i-have-seen-i-am-driven-to-the-conclusion-that-religion-is/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [The main conclusion here arrived at ... is that man is descended from some less highly organized form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-main-conclusion-here-arrived-at-is-that-man-is-descended-from/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [Your deeper sense isn’t a springboard; it’s a landing place. If you draw conclusions too quickly or too slowly, you’ll establish your self where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/your-deeper-sense-isn-t-a-springboard-it-s-a-landing-place-if-you/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [Every study on chocolate is pointing to the same conclusion: there is something in chocolate that is really good for us. That something is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wolfe/every-study-on-chocolate-is-pointing-to-the-same-conclusion-there-is/) [David Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wolfe/) > [I have come to the definite conclusion that musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinichi-suzuki/i-have-come-to-the-definite-conclusion-that-musical-ability-is-not-an/) [Shinichi Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinichi-suzuki/) > [Study how a society uses its land, and you can come to pretty reliable conclusions as to what its future will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/study-how-a-society-uses-its-land-and-you-can-come-to-pretty-reliable/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [That's what politics is. It's the story of what's happening, what does it mean, what's the conclusion, who are the interesting characters?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/that-s-what-politics-is-it-s-the-story-of-what-s-happening-what-does/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [It's my firm conclusion that human meaning comes from humans, not from a supernatural source. After we die, our hopes for an afterlife reside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/it-s-my-firm-conclusion-that-human-meaning-comes-from-humans-not-from/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [To each eye, perhaps, the outlines of a great civilization present a different picture. In the wide ocean upon which we venture, the possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/to-each-eye-perhaps-the-outlines-of-a-great-civilization-present-a/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [If you jump to conclusion you can't step on a clue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-santinello/if-you-jump-to-conclusion-you-can-t-step-on-a-clue/) [James Santinello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-santinello/) > [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Browse all 1,619 Conclusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own existence, our significance, and the significance of the universe itself, our conclusions should be based on empirical knowledge. A truly open mind means forcing our imaginations to conform to the evidence of reality, and not vice versa, whether or not we like the implications.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lawrence M. Krauss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclusions-about-our-own-existence/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conclusion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclusions-about-our-own-existence/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/lawrence-m-krauss-2566_conclusion_if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclus_3103234.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/lawrence-m-krauss-2566_conclusion_if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclus_3103234.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/lawrence-m-krauss-2566_conclusion_if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclus_3103234.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own existence, our significance, and the significance…” — Lawrence M. Krauss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lawrence M. Krauss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we wish to draw philosophical...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclusions-about-our-own-existence/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-we-wish-to-draw-philosophical-conclusions-about-our-own-existence/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```