--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For history and for science facts are…" description: "\"“For history and for science facts are self-evident and are the subject-matter of these studies, but for philosophy they are the most puzzling things i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/michael-oakeshott-23288_history_for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-se_460673.jpg" --- # For history and for science facts are self-evident and are… ![“For history and for science facts are self-evident and are the subject-matter of these studies, but for philosophy they are the most puzzling things imaginable, and when they are really discovered its part is played.” quote by Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/michael-oakeshott-23288_history_for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-se_460673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/michael-oakeshott-23288_history_for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-se_460673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/michael-oakeshott-23288_history_for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-se_460673.jpg) > ““For history and for science facts are self-evident and are the subject-matter of these studies, but for philosophy they are the most puzzling things imaginable, and when they are really discovered its part is played.”” [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophy deals with concepts that are not directly observable, making them seem puzzling compared to factual sciences. **In simple terms:** Philosophy tackles puzzling ideas. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty in philosophical inquiry. Themes philosophy epistemology uncertainty Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - academic research - teaching philosophy - public debates Key Concepts conceptual analysis interpretation meaning Questions to Reflect On - How do we handle concepts that resist clear definition? - What methods help clarify philosophical problems? A Different Perspective Philosophical puzzles can be resolved with rigorous analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [“These are facts which, with the self-evident proposition that no being can create another being superior to itself, smashes your silly hypothesis to nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/these-are-facts-which-with-the-self-evident-proposition-that-no-being/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [I decided to teach because I think that any person who studies philosophy has to be involved actively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-decided-to-teach-because-i-think-that-any-person-who-studies/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [“For you cannot know the world by just navel-gazing. This is why he reads history and studies philosophy: not to draw lessons and precepts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/for-you-cannot-know-the-world-by-just-navel-gazing-this-is-why-he/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [I love history, cultural and religious studies, philosophy, photography and traveling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lewis/i-love-history-cultural-and-religious-studies-philosophy-photography/) [Ryan Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lewis/) > [History is and should be a science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/numa-denis-fustel-de-coulanges/history-is-and-should-be-a-science/) [Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/numa-denis-fustel-de-coulanges/) > [The history of science is full of revolutionary advances that required small insights that anyone might have had, but that, in fact, only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/the-history-of-science-is-full-of-revolutionary-advances-that/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [I never had a single female professor throughout my whole education, from the beginning of university to the end. Even all the books were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/i-never-had-a-single-female-professor-throughout-my-whole-education/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [Great is the power of steady misrepresentation; but the history of science shows that fortunately this power does not long endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/great-is-the-power-of-steady-misrepresentation-but-the-history-of/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [The history of science knows scores of instances where an investigator was in the possession of all the important facts for a new theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-mayr/the-history-of-science-knows-scores-of-instances-where-an/) [Ernst Mayr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-mayr/) > [The history of science should not be an instrument to defend any kind of social or philosophic theory; it should be used only for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/the-history-of-science-should-not-be-an-instrument-to-defend-any-kind/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [If all history is only an amplification of biography, the history of science may be most instructively read in the life and work of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-geikie/if-all-history-is-only-an-amplification-of-biography-the-history-of/) Archibald Geikie > [To witness history and science being made in front of your eyes is the rush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginger-zee/to-witness-history-and-science-being-made-in-front-of-your-eyes-is/) [Ginger Zee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginger-zee/) > [The history of science, like the history of all human ideas, is a history of irresponsible dreams, of obstinacy, and of error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/the-history-of-science-like-the-history-of-all-human-ideas-is-a/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) > [You ask whether I am going over to the history of science... no, I am not as old as that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-kelk-ingold/you-ask-whether-i-am-going-over-to-the-history-of-science-no-i-am-not/) Christopher Kelk Ingold > [History is the science of what never happens twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/history-is-the-science-of-what-never-happens-twice/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) ## More by Michael Oakeshott > [“There is no wealth but life. Life, including all its powers of love, of joy, and of admiration. That country is the richest which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/there-is-no-wealth-but-life-life-including-all-its-powers-of-love-of/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“For there is not so complete and perfect a part that we know of nature, which does not owe the being it has, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/for-there-is-not-so-complete-and-perfect-a-part-that-we-know-of/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“to think nothing about the opinion of his society (if he be in any sense a member) is to be unconsciously influenced by it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/to-think-nothing-about-the-opinion-of-his-society-if-he-be-in-any/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“To theorize’ means, to see as a whole. The actual is a small part of the whole, or a single aspect of it, which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/to-theorize-means-to-see-as-a-whole-the-actual-is-a-small-part-of-the/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“Image the whole, then execute the parts— Fancy the fabric Quite, ere you build, ere steel strike fire from quartz Ere mortar dab brick!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/image-the-whole-then-execute-the-parts-fancy-the-fabric-quite-ere-you/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“the first rule of Moritz Haupt for interpreting the classics,—‘Man soll nicht übersetzen.’ \[‘Do not translate’:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/the-first-rule-of-moritz-haupt-for-interpreting-the-classics-man-soll/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“Property was thus appall’d / That the self was not the same / Single nature’s double name / Neither two nor one was call’d.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/property-was-thus-appall-d-that-the-self-was-not-the-same-single/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“a child might possibly change his country; a man can only wish that he might change it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/a-child-might-possibly-change-his-country-a-man-can-only-wish-that-he/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“England in August 1914 was more of a state than she was during the great industrial strikes of 1911–1912.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/england-in-august-1914-was-more-of-a-state-than-she-was-during-the/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“To define a thing is to see it clearly, to see it as distinct from other things and at the same time to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/to-define-a-thing-is-to-see-it-clearly-to-see-it-as-distinct-from/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“in modern philosophy, the first glimpse of the true view of the conception of ‘might is right’ as applying to government is to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/in-modern-philosophy-the-first-glimpse-of-the-true-view-of-the/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“The process of experiencing is well described by Goethe when he says that our life is made up of our connections with the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/the-process-of-experiencing-is-well-described-by-goethe-when-he-says/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“For a great state, qua state, is not one which embraces a great population or an extensive territory, but one which achieves a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/for-a-great-state-qua-state-is-not-one-which-embraces-a-great/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [In political activity men sail a boundless and bottomless sea; there is neither harbor for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting point nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/in-political-activity-men-sail-a-boundless-and-bottomless-sea-there/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“A so-called ideal scheme which does not grow out of reality is definitely and finally not ideal at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/a-so-called-ideal-scheme-which-does-not-grow-out-of-reality-is/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) [Explore all 26 Michael Oakeshott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) ## More History quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The NBA is my history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/the-nba-is-my-history/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [History is a certain way, but you just change the point of view a little bit, and you discover a whole new side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/history-is-a-certain-way-but-you-just-change-the-point-of-view-a/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) C-DASH > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 27,263 History quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For history and for science facts are self-evident and are the subject-matter of these studies, but for philosophy they are the most puzzling things imaginable, and when they are really discovered its part is played.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Oakeshott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-self-evident-and-are-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "History" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-self-evident-and-are-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/michael-oakeshott-23288_history_for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-se_460673.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/michael-oakeshott-23288_history_for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-se_460673.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/michael-oakeshott-23288_history_for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-se_460673.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For history and for science facts are self-evident and are the subject-matter of these studies, but for…” — Michael Oakeshott", "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": "Michael Oakeshott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“For history and for science facts...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-self-evident-and-are-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/for-history-and-for-science-facts-are-self-evident-and-are-the/#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 } } ] } ```