---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact that a theory so vague, so…"
description: "\"The fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently verifiable, and so far from the criteria otherwise applied in 'hard' science has become a dogma can ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/ludwig-von-bertalanffy-48191_criteria_the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insuf_105929.jpg"
---

#  The fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently…

![“The fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently verifiable, and so far from the criteria otherwise applied in 'hard' science has become a dogma can only be explained on sociological grounds.” quote by Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/ludwig-von-bertalanffy-48191_criteria_the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insuf_105929.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/ludwig-von-bertalanffy-48191_criteria_the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insuf_105929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/ludwig-von-bertalanffy-48191_criteria_the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insuf_105929.jpg)

> “The fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently verifiable, and so far from the criteria otherwise applied in 'hard' science has become a dogma can only be explained on sociological grounds.”

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When a theory lacks clear verification and diverges from empirical standards, its acceptance often stems from social dynamics rather than scientific merit.

**In simple terms:** Science can become dogma due to sociology, not evidence.

Key Takeaway

Social factors can elevate weak theories to dogma.

Themes

philosophy of science sociology of knowledge epistemology

Mood

analytical skeptical

Type

academic critical

When to use this quote

- debates over climate models
- acceptance of alternative medicine
- educational curricula decisions

Key Concepts

social constructionism scientific methodology

Practical Applications

- critical peer review
- transparent data sharing

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we differentiate healthy consensus from sociological dogma?
- What safeguards protect science from social bias?

A Different Perspective

Some theories may be provisional yet useful despite limited verification; dismissing them entirely could hinder progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dogma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogma/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/)

## Related quotes

> [I think that the fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently verifiable, and so far from the criteria otherwise applied in "hard" science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/i-think-that-the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insufficiently/)

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

> [Evolution ... is really two theories, the vague theory and the precise theory. The vague theory has been abundantly proved… The precise theory has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-standen/evolution-is-really-two-theories-the-vague-theory-and-the-precise/)

[Anthony Standen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-standen/)

> [Science has nothing to do with any dogma. Science ceases to exist when there is a dogma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marie-lehn/science-has-nothing-to-do-with-any-dogma-science-ceases-to-exist-when/)

[Jean-Marie Lehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marie-lehn/)

> [All definite knowledge - so I should contend - belongs to science; all dogma as to what surpasses definite knowledge belongs to theology. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-definite-knowledge-so-i-should-contend-belongs-to-science-all/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [This is - it's a sociological experiment in many ways. And so you're seeing the results of what happens when you put a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/this-is-it-s-a-sociological-experiment-in-many-ways-and-so-you-re/)

[Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/)

> [I have come to the belief that there is not merely an accidental relationship between bad writing and routine sociological research, but a wonderfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hardwick/i-have-come-to-the-belief-that-there-is-not-merely-an-accidental/)

[Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/)

> [In the cosmology behind psychology, there is no reason for anyone to be here or to do anything... I'am an accident - a result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/in-the-cosmology-behind-psychology-there-is-no-reason-for-anyone-to/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [Sociological prose is generally written without images in an exact form for an academic audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/sociological-prose-is-generally-written-without-images-in-an-exact/)

[Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/)

> [New York white youth were killing victims; that was a 'sociological' problem. But when black youth killed somebody, the power structure was looking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/new-york-white-youth-were-killing-victims-that-was-a-sociological/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [Over and above the political, economic, sociological, and international implications of racial prejudices, their major significance is that they place unnecessary burdens upon human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/over-and-above-the-political-economic-sociological-and-international/)

[Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/)

> [They lived freely among the students, they argued with the men over philosophical, sociological and artistic matters, they were just as good as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-lived-freely-among-the-students-they-argued-with-the-men-over/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The application of psychoanalysis to sociology must definitely guard against the mistake of wanting to give psychoanalytic answers where economic, technical, or political facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-application-of-psychoanalysis-to-sociology-must-definitely-guard/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [Humanism is not wrong in its cry for sociological healing, but humanism is not producing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/humanism-is-not-wrong-in-its-cry-for-sociological-healing-but/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [The things that inform student culture are created and controlled by the unseen culture, the sociological aspects of our climbing culture, our 'me' generation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/the-things-that-inform-student-culture-are-created-and-controlled-by/)

[Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/)

> [My rap comes from a sociological standpoint rather than picking a particular side or dogma or ideology. I just want people to be free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/my-rap-comes-from-a-sociological-standpoint-rather-than-picking-a/)

[Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/)

## More by Ludwig von Bertalanffy

> [I think that the fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently verifiable, and so far from the criteria otherwise applied in "hard" science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/i-think-that-the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insufficiently/)

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

> [Progress is only possible by passing from a state of undifferentiated wholeness to differentiation of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/progress-is-only-possible-by-passing-from-a-state-of-undifferentiated/)

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

> [Considering the inconceivable complexity of processes even in a simple cell, it is little short of a miracle that the simplest possible model -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/considering-the-inconceivable-complexity-of-processes-even-in-a/)

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

> [Thus even supposedly unadulterated facts of observation already are interfused with all sorts of conceptual pictures, model concepts, theories or whatever expression you choose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/thus-even-supposedly-unadulterated-facts-of-observation-already-are/)

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

> [It is the 'zoomorphic' or 'rattomorphic' fallacy - the expressed or implicit contention that there is no essential difference between rat and man -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/it-is-the-zoomorphic-or-rattomorphic-fallacy-the-expressed-or/)

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

> [We are seeking another basic outlook: the world as an organization. This would profoundly change categories of our thinking and influence our practical attitudes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/we-are-seeking-another-basic-outlook-the-world-as-an-organization/)

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

> [People are not machines, but in all situations where they are given the opportunity, they will act like machines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/people-are-not-machines-but-in-all-situations-where-they-are-given/)

[Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

[Explore all 8 Ludwig von Bertalanffy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/)

## More Criteria quotes

> [The major caveat in all of comedy is that it's all instinctive. There's no true criteria. There is no right or wrong. Ultimately, often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-charles/the-major-caveat-in-all-of-comedy-is-that-it-s-all-instinctive-there/)

[Larry Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-charles/)

> [Every man will have his own criterion in forming his judgment of others. I depend very much on the effect of affliction. I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cecil/every-man-will-have-his-own-criterion-in-forming-his-judgment-of/)

[Richard Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cecil/)

> [First of all the criteria that I have that goes into any career decision is whether or not I have the life experience, emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/first-of-all-the-criteria-that-i-have-that-goes-into-any-career/)

[Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/)

> [The criterion of true beauty is, that it increases in examination; of false, that it lessens. There is something, therefore, in true beauty that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-grenville/the-criterion-of-true-beauty-is-that-it-increases-in-examination-of/)

George Grenville

> [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [As for the (Ballon d'Or) criteria, I'm not really sure how it works. Sometimes it's a World Cup year, sometimes it isn't. Let them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-villa/as-for-the-ballon-d-or-criteria-i-m-not-really-sure-how-it-works/)

[David Villa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-villa/)

> [As the number of unexplained, irreducibly complex biological systems increases, our confidence that Darwin's criterion of failure has been met skyrockets toward the maximum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-behe/as-the-number-of-unexplained-irreducibly-complex-biological-systems/)

[Michael Behe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-behe/)

> [“We need to give an informative set of criteria for the best explanation. It is very difficult to do so. Here are some factors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-emmering/we-need-to-give-an-informative-set-of-criteria-for-the-best/)

Michael E Emmering

> [It may be an extreme example brought about by abnormal circumstances - but the criteria of human rights kick in, surely, precisely when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breyten-breytenbach/it-may-be-an-extreme-example-brought-about-by-abnormal-circumstances/)

[Breyten Breytenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breyten-breytenbach/)

> [My inspiration comes from everywhere, just walking down the street and I never know where it's going to come from, so I keep a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/my-inspiration-comes-from-everywhere-just-walking-down-the-street-and/)

[Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/)

> [A system is empirical or scientific only if it is capable of being tested by experience. These considerations suggest that not the verifiability but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/a-system-is-empirical-or-scientific-only-if-it-is-capable-of-being/)

[Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/)

> [A work of art is itself an object, first of all, and so manipulation is unavoidable: it's a prerequisite. But I needed the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/a-work-of-art-is-itself-an-object-first-of-all-and-so-manipulation-is/)

[Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/)

> [The criteria or the paradigm for us is not the West, not the Western paradigm, because the West has its own culture, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-criteria-or-the-paradigm-for-us-is-not-the-west-not-the-western/)

[Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/)

> [New Orleans invented the brown paper bag party - usually at a gathering in a home - where anyone darker than the bag attached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/new-orleans-invented-the-brown-paper-bag-party-usually-at-a-gathering/)

[Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/)

> [I divide all literary works into two categories: Those I like and those I don't like. No other criterion exists for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-divide-all-literary-works-into-two-categories-those-i-like-and/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

Browse all 448 Criteria quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently verifiable, and so far from the criteria otherwise applied in 'hard' science has become a dogma can only be explained on sociological grounds.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ludwig von Bertalanffy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insufficiently-verifiable-and-so/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Criteria"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insufficiently-verifiable-and-so/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/ludwig-von-bertalanffy-48191_criteria_the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insuf_105929.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/ludwig-von-bertalanffy-48191_criteria_the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insuf_105929.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/ludwig-von-bertalanffy-48191_criteria_the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insuf_105929.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently verifiable, and so far from the criteria otherwise…” — Ludwig von Bertalanffy",
                "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": "Ludwig von Bertalanffy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The fact that a theory so...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insufficiently-verifiable-and-so/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/the-fact-that-a-theory-so-vague-so-insufficiently-verifiable-and-so/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```