--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Politics is not a science...but an art." description: "\"Politics is not a science...but an art.\" — Otto von Bismarck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/otto-von-bismarck-3444_art_politics-is-not-a-science-but-an-art-114_1144880.png" --- # Politics is not a science...but an art. ![“Politics is not a science...but an art.” quote by Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/otto-von-bismarck-3444_art_politics-is-not-a-science-but-an-art-114_1144880.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/otto-von-bismarck-3444_art_politics-is-not-a-science-but-an-art-114_1144880.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/otto-von-bismarck-3444_art_politics-is-not-a-science-but-an-art-114_1144880.png) > “Politics is not a science...but an art.” [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politics blends science’s systematic study with art’s creative, subjective expression. **In simple terms:** Politics is both science and art. Key Takeaway Blend analysis with intuition. Themes politics science art Mood analytical reflective Type speech philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - campaign planning - governance Key Concepts philosophy strategy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance data and intuition? - When does art dominate politics? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on data can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Politics is not a science, as the professors are apt to suppose. It is an art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/politics-is-not-a-science-as-the-professors-are-apt-to-suppose-it-is/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Politics are not a science based on logic; they are the capacity of always choosing at each instant, in constantly changing situations, the least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/politics-are-not-a-science-based-on-logic-they-are-the-capacity-of/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [To be creative means to connect. It's to abolish the gap between the body, the mind and the soul, between science and art, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/to-be-creative-means-to-connect-it-s-to-abolish-the-gap-between-the/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Economics is not politics. One is a science, concerned with the immutable and constant laws of nature that determine the production and distribution of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-chodorov/economics-is-not-politics-one-is-a-science-concerned-with-the/) [Frank Chodorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-chodorov/) > [There is need for more science in politics and less politics in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-roberts/there-is-need-for-more-science-in-politics-and-less-politics-in/) [Richard J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-roberts/) > [Unfortunately the global warming hysteria, as I see it, is driven by politics more than by science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/unfortunately-the-global-warming-hysteria-as-i-see-it-is-driven-by/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [Truth is I don't think God on a daily basis. I think politics, science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/truth-is-i-don-t-think-god-on-a-daily-basis-i-think-politics-science/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [Some of the FDA's own scientists have charged that politics, not science, is behind the FDA's actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-crowley/some-of-the-fda-s-own-scientists-have-charged-that-politics-not/) [Joseph Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-crowley/) > [Politics is a science. You can demonstrate that you are right and that others are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/politics-is-a-science-you-can-demonstrate-that-you-are-right-and-that/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [The belief that politics can be scientific must inevitably produce tyrannies. Politics cannot be a science, because in politics theory and practice cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/the-belief-that-politics-can-be-scientific-must-inevitably-produce/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Politics is the science of who gets what, when, and why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-hillman/politics-is-the-science-of-who-gets-what-when-and-why/) Sidney Hillman > [Politics is the science of urgencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/politics-is-the-science-of-urgencies/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [Culture cannot be separated from politics. The arts, philosophy and metaphysics, religion and the sciences, constitute culture. Politics are the science or art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/culture-cannot-be-separated-from-politics-the-arts-philosophy-and/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [The science of politics is the one science that is deposited by the streams of history, like the grains of gold in the sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-science-of-politics-is-the-one-science-that-is-deposited-by-the/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Politics cannot be a science, because in politics theory and practice cannot be separated, and the sciences depend upon their separation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/politics-cannot-be-a-science-because-in-politics-theory-and-practice/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) ## More by Otto von Bismarck > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-learn-from-experience-i-prefer-to-learn-from-the-experience-of/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Earthly majesty is always akin to the fallen angel, who is proud and unhappy, beautiful but troubled, and whose plans and efforts, though vast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/earthly-majesty-is-always-akin-to-the-fallen-angel-who-is-proud-and/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [“The Balkans aren't worth the life of a single Pomeranian grenadier.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-balkans-aren-t-worth-the-life-of-a-single-pomeranian-grenadier/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/never-believe-anything-in-politics-until-it-has-been-officially-denied/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [The government should cultivate the view also among the propertyless classes of the population, those who are the most numerous and the least educated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-government-should-cultivate-the-view-also-among-the-propertyless/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/be-polite-write-diplomatically-even-in-a-declaration-of-war-one/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/when-a-man-says-he-approves-of-something-in-principle-it-means-he/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/preventive-war-is-like-committing-suicide-out-of-fear-of-death/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Fools you are who say you like to learn from your mistakes. I prefer to learn from the mistakes of others, and avoid the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-you-are-who-say-you-like-to-learn-from-your-mistakes-i-prefer/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [“Verfallen wir nicht in den Fehler, bei jedem Andersmeinenden entweder an seinem Verständnis oder an seinem guten Willen zu zweifeln.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/verfallen-wir-nicht-in-den-fehler-bei-jedem-andersmeinenden-entweder/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [I am accustomed to pay men back in their own coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/i-am-accustomed-to-pay-men-back-in-their-own-coin/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [I have often regretted what I have eaten, but never what I have drunk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/i-have-often-regretted-what-i-have-eaten-but-never-what-i-have-drunk/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [The nation that has the schools has the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-nation-that-has-the-schools-has-the-future/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Vanity is a mortgage that must be deducted from the value of a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/vanity-is-a-mortgage-that-must-be-deducted-from-the-value-of-a-man/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) [Explore all 130 Otto von Bismarck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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