Ignorance Quote by Leo Tolstoy
““It was long before I could believe that human learning had no clear answer to this question. For a long time it seemed to me, as I listened to the gravity and seriousness wherewith Science affirmed its positions on matters unconnected with the problem of life, that I must have misunderstood something. For a long time I was timid in the presence in learning, and I fancied that the insufficiency of the answers which I received was not its fault, but was owing to my own gross ignorance, but this thing was not a joke or a pastime with me, but the business of my life, and I was at last forced, willy-nilly, to the conclusion that these questions of mine were the only legitimate questions underlying all knowledge, and that it was not I that was in fault in putting them, but science in pretending to have an answer for them.””
About This Quote
Source Book: War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy, 1869
The author reflects on the limits of scientific knowledge and the importance of existential questions that science cannot answer.
In simple terms: Science can't answer life's deepest questions.
Key Takeaway
Seek meaning beyond scientific answers.
Themes
philosophy
science
existential
knowledge
humility
Mood
contemplative
serious
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- academic study
- spiritual search
- career decision
Key Concepts
Epistemology
meaning
human condition
introspection
Questions to Reflect On
- What questions do you feel science ignores?
- How do you balance scientific knowledge with personal meaning?
A Different Perspective
Science may never resolve all human concerns.
