Astronomy Quote by Roger Bacon
“The calendar is intolerable to all wisdom, the horror of all astronomy, and a laughing stock from a mathematician's point of view.”
About This Quote
Source Treat: Opus Majus, 13th century
The calendar’s complexity and inaccuracies frustrate scholars, making it seem absurd to astronomers and mathematicians alike.
In simple terms: Calendars can seem absurd and scholars.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the limits of our timekeeping systems.
Themes
science
philosophy
humor
Mood
skeptical
ironic
Type
critical
humorous
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- historical research
- education
- public policy
Key Concepts
chronology
epistemology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance tradition with scientific accuracy?
- What alternatives could improve timekeeping?
A Different Perspective
Calendars are still useful despite imperfections.
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)
![“There are four great sciences, without which the other sciences cannot be known nor a knowledge of things secured ... Of these sciences the gate and key is mathematics ... He who is ignorant of this [mathematics] cannot know the other sciences nor the affairs of this world.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/555/roger-bacon-15067_affair_there-are-four-great-sciences-without-wh_575596.jpg)
![“All science requires mathematics. [Editors' summary of Bacon's idea, not Bacon's wording.]” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/49e/roger-bacon-15067_editors_all-science-requires-mathematics-editors_697422.jpg)
