All things Quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“...from the time of Kepler to that of Newton, and from Newton to Hartley, not only all things in external nature, but the subtlest mysteries of life and organization, and even of the intellect and moral being, were conjured within the magic circle of mathematical formulae.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (excerpt), 1798
Mathematics is portrayed as a magical force that explains everything from the cosmos to human morality.
In simple terms: Math is a universal magic explaining all.
Key Takeaway
Recognize math’s power across domains.
Themes
knowledge
universal truth
interconnectedness
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- science education
- philosophical debate
- interdisciplinary research
- ethical analysis
Key Concepts
mathematical philosophy
metaphor
order and chaos
Questions to Reflect On
- Can math capture moral complexity?
- Where does intuition surpass calculation?
A Different Perspective
Over‑reliance on formulas may ignore human nuance.
![“[P]olitical and social and scientific values ... should be correlated in some relation of movement that could be expressed in mathematics, nor did one care in the least that all the world said it could not be done, or that one knew not enough mathematics even to figure a formula beyond the…” quote by Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/062/henry-adams-1542_attraction_p-olitical-and-social-and-scientific-val_2213281.jpg)
![“What a deep [trust] in the rationality of the structure of the world and what a longing to understand even a small glimpse of the reason revealed in the world there must have been in Kepler and Newton to enable them to unravel the mechanism of the heavens in long years of lonely work!” quote by Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1f6/albert-einstein-33_glimpse_what-a-deep-trust-in-the-rationality-of_1936444.jpg)
![“Foreshadowings of the principles and even of the language of [the infinitesimal] calculus can be found in the writings of Napier , Kepler , Cavalieri , Fermat , Wallis , and Barrow . It was Newton 's good luck to come at a time when everything was ripe for the discovery, and his ability enabled…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e09/anonymous-1_ability_foreshadowings-of-the-principles-and-eve_273197.jpg)
![“[Newton wrote to Halley ... that he would not give Hooke any credit] That, alas, is vanity. You find it in so many scientists. You know, it has always hurt me to think that Galileo did not acknowledge the work of Kepler.” quote by Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d8d/albert-einstein-33_acknowledge_newton-wrote-to-halley-that-he-would-not_344363.jpg)
