---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thought and science follow their own law…"
description: "\"Thought and science follow their own law of development; they are slowly elaborated in the growth and forward pressure of humanity, in what Shakespeare..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/matthew-arnold-1235_accounts_thought-and-science-follow-their-own-law_1174309.jpg"
---

#  Thought and science follow their own law of development…

![“Thought and science follow their own law of development; they are slowly elaborated in the growth and forward pressure of humanity, in what Shakespeare calls ...The prophetic soul, Of the wide world dreaming on things to come.” quote by Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/matthew-arnold-1235_accounts_thought-and-science-follow-their-own-law_1174309.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/matthew-arnold-1235_accounts_thought-and-science-follow-their-own-law_1174309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/matthew-arnold-1235_accounts_thought-and-science-follow-their-own-law_1174309.jpg)

> “Thought and science follow their own law of development; they are slowly elaborated in the growth and forward pressure of humanity, in what Shakespeare calls ...The prophetic soul, Of the wide world dreaming on things to come.”

[Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/)

## About This Quote

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

Human thought and science evolve gradually, driven by humanity’s forward momentum and a prophetic intuition of future possibilities.

**In simple terms:** Ideas and science grow slowly, guided by humanity’s drive and foresight.

Key Takeaway

Embrace progress and nurture visionary thinking.

Themes

progress knowledge vision humanity future

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- education reform
- scientific research
- cultural analysis
- long‑term planning

Key Concepts

development prophetic intuition historical context

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance patience with urgency?
- What role does imagination play in scientific breakthroughs?

A Different Perspective

The pace of change can be uneven, and not all visions become reality.

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[Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development/) [Development Slowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development-slowly-3416710/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humanity Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-shakespeare-1864046/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Prophetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophetic/) [Prophetic Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophetic-soul-3416709/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Wide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wide/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Dreaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-dreaming-384142/)

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