Atoms Quote by Samuel Butler
“When people talk of atoms obeying fixed laws, they are either ascribing some kind of intelligence and free will to atoms or they are talking nonsense. There is no obedience unless there is at any rate a potentiality of disobeying.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Erewhon, 1872, Chapter on Science
The passage argues that attributing fixed, obedient laws to atoms is mistaken; atoms, like humans, possess potential for disobedience, implying that determinism is flawed.
In simple terms: Atoms are not strictly obedient; they have potential to act unpredictably.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the limits of deterministic thinking.
Themes
science
philosophy
determinism
free will
logic
Mood
thought‑provoking
skeptical
analytical
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- laboratory research
- ethical debates
- technological forecasting
- educational curricula
- policy making
Key Concepts
potentiality
law of nature
ontological uncertainty
Questions to Reflect On
- Can we ever fully predict atomic behavior?
- How does this view affect our understanding of free will?
A Different Perspective
Deterministic models still useful in many practical applications despite philosophical critiques.
![“[Decoding the human genome sequence] is the most significant undertaking that we have mounted so far in an organized way in all of science. I believe that reading our blueprints, cataloguing our own instruction book, will be judged by history as more significant than even splitting the atom or…” quote by Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c6/francis-collins-5281_atoms_decoding-the-human-genome-sequence-is-th_15604.jpg)
