Biographies Quote by Lionel Trilling
“It is told of Faraday that he refused to be called a physicist; he very much disliked the new name as being too special and particular and insisted on the old one, philosopher, in all its spacious generality: we may suppose that this was his way of saying that he had not over-ridden the limiting conditions of class only to submit to the limitation of a profession.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Philosophy of Science, Lionel Trilling, 1965
Faraday preferred “philosopher” over “physicist” to avoid narrow professional limits and embrace broader inquiry.
In simple terms: He chose a broader identity to stay open-minded.
Key Takeaway
Embrace broad perspectives over restrictive labels.
Themes
identity
discipline
intellectual freedom
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
essayistic
reflective
When to use this quote
- academic career choices
- interdisciplinary research
- personal branding
Key Concepts
philosophical identity
disciplinary boundaries
Questions to Reflect On
- How do your professional titles shape your thinking?
- When might a specific label be advantageous?
A Different Perspective
Labels can still constrain thinking despite intentions.
![“His [Faraday's] third great discovery is the Magnetization of Light, which I should liken to the Weisshorn among mountains-high, beautiful, and alone.” quote by John Tyndall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d05/john-tyndall-33806_discovery_his-faraday-s-third-great-discovery-is-t_1290958.jpg)
![“To what part of electrical science are we not indebted to Faraday? He has increased our knowledge of the hidden and unknown to such an extent, that all subsequent writers are compelled so frequently to mention his name and quote his papers, that the very repetition becomes monotonous. [How]…” quote by Alfred Smee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f02/alfred-smee-82261_acknowledge_to-what-part-of-electrical-science-are-w_1095021.jpg)
![“To him [Faraday], as to all true philosophers, the main value of a fact was its position and suggestiveness in the general sequence of scientific truth.” quote by John Tyndall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2ae/john-tyndall-33806_fact_to-him-faraday-as-to-all-true-philosophe_479803.jpg)
![“I read so ravenously that I would read through whole categories. I was crazy about reading biographies. [...] I think biographies are very urgent to children.” quote by Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a53/joan-didion-497_biographies_i-read-so-ravenously-that-i-would-read-t_43631.jpg)
