Calculus Quote by Nicholas Murray Butler
“The analytical geometry of Descartes and the calculus of Newton and Leibniz have expanded into the marvelous mathematical method-more daring than anything that the history of philosophy records-of Lobachevsky and Riemann, Gauss and Sylvester. Indeed, mathematics, the indispensable tool of the sciences, defying the senses to follow its splendid flights, is demonstrating today, as it never has been demonstrated before, the supremacy of the pure reason.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Mathematics and Philosophy, 1930s
Mathematics, evolving from geometry to calculus, exemplifies pure reason’s dominance over sensory experience, becoming the essential language of science.
In simple terms: Math shows pure reason’s power in science.
Key Takeaway
Study mathematical reasoning for deeper insight.
Themes
mathematics
reason
science
philosophy
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
academic
inspirational
When to use this quote
- education
- research
- technology development
Key Concepts
pure reason
methodology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does pure reason shape scientific progress?
- What are limits of mathematical abstraction?
A Different Perspective
Complex math can be inaccessible without proper foundation.
![“With an absurd oversimplification, the "invention" of calculus [method in mathematics] is sometimes ascribed to two men, Newton and Leibniz.” quote by Richard Courant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/131/richard-courant-41915_absurd_with-an-absurd-oversimplification-the-in_712428.jpg)
![“Tell them you came, and saw, and looked into my eyes and saw the shadow of the guard receding. Thoughts in time and out of season, the hitchinker stood by the side of the road and levelled his thumb in the calm calculus of reason. [...] Why does my mind circle around you? Why do planets wonder…” quote by Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9ae/jim-morrison-1692_bird_tell-them-you-came-and-saw-and-looked-in_18280.jpg)
