Achievement Quote by Michael Polanyi
“And the actual achievements of biology are explanations in terms of mechanisms founded on physics and chemistry, which is not the same thing as explanations in terms of physics and chemistry.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Personal Knowledge, Michael Polanyi, 1958
Science explains phenomena by linking mechanisms to physics and chemistry, not by reducing them to those fields alone.
In simple terms: Science uses physics and chemistry to explain biology, not replace it.
Key Takeaway
Recognize interdisciplinary explanations.
Themes
science
interdisciplinarity
philosophy of science
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
academic
When to use this quote
- research design
- education curricula
- policy making
Key Concepts
mechanisms
reductionism
explanatory frameworks
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance reductionist and holistic approaches?
- What limits interdisciplinary integration?
A Different Perspective
Complex mechanisms may resist simple reduction.
![“To my mind, the theory of [evolution] does not stand up at all. If living matter is not, then, caused by the interplay of atoms, natural forces, and radiation [i.e., time, chance, and chemistry], how has it come into being? I think, however, that we must go further than this and admit that the…” quote by Henry Lipson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fbe/henry-lipson-67301_acceptable_to-my-mind-the-theory-of-evolution-does_204667.jpg)
