Difficult Quote by Rene Descartes
“In the matter of a difficult question it is more likely that the truth should have been discovered by the few than by the many.”
About This Quote
Source Treat: Discourse on the Method, Rene Descartes, 1637
Complex questions are often solved by a few experts rather than the masses, implying truth is discovered by the knowledgeable.
In simple terms: Hard truths are found by experts, not crowds.
Key Takeaway
Seek expertise for difficult problems.
Themes
knowledge
expertise
truth
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- policy analysis
- advanced education
Key Concepts
epistemology
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- Who decides who the “few” are?
- How can we involve broader input without losing rigor?
A Different Perspective
Relying on few may exclude valuable diverse perspectives.
![“[About Pierre de Fermat] It cannot be denied that he has had many exceptional ideas, and that he is a highly intelligent man. For my part, however, I have always been taught to take a broad overview of things, in order to be able to deduce from them general rules, which might be applicable…” quote by Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/588/ren-descartes-1376_able_about-pierre-de-fermat-it-cannot-be-deni_89929.jpg)
![“And what more am I? I look for aid to the imagination. [But how mistakenly!] I am not that assemblage of limbs we call the human body; I am not a subtle penetrating air distributed throughout all these members; I am not a wind, a fire, a vapor, a breath or anything at all that I can image. I am…” quote by René Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/207/ren-descartes-1376_human-body_and-what-more-am-i-i-look-for-aid-to-the_115493.jpg)
