Bankruptcy Quote by Stephen Jay Gould
![“[T]ruly grand and powerful theories [...] do not and cannot rest upon single observations. Evolution is an inference from thousands of independent sources, the only conceptual structure that can make unified sense of all this disparate information. The failure of a particular claim usually records…” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1aa/stephen-jay-gould-885_bankruptcy_t-ruly-grand-and-powerful-theories-do-no_1770112.jpg)
“[T]ruly grand and powerful theories [...] do not and cannot rest upon single observations. Evolution is an inference from thousands of independent sources, the only conceptual structure that can make unified sense of all this disparate information. The failure of a particular claim usually records a local error, not the bankruptcy of a central theory. [...] If I mistakenly identify your father's brother as your own dad, you don't become genealogically rootless and created de novo. You still have a father; we just haven't located him properly.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, Stephen Jay Gould, 2002
Scientific theories must be supported by many independent observations; a single error doesn't invalidate the whole framework.
In simple terms: Theories need many pieces of evidence; one mistake isn’t fatal.
Key Takeaway
Check multiple sources before dismissing a theory.
Themes
science
theory
evidence
error
validation
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
academic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- research design
- peer review
- academic debate
- policy making
Key Concepts
evolutionary biology
philosophy of science
epistemology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess the robustness of a theory?
- When should a single observation prompt a revision?
A Different Perspective
A single contradictory finding can still challenge a theory if it reveals a deeper flaw.
![“...a consistency proof for [any] system ... can be carried out only by means of modes of inference that are not formalized in the system ... itself.” quote by Kurt Gödel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bbd/kurt-g-del-26112_consistency_a-consistency-proof-for-any-system-can-b_86224.jpg)
![“In my very first term there was an issue that brought us [George Mitchell, Ted Kennedy, Chris Dodd] together in a very deep, emotional, and personal level.It was called 'spousal impoverishment' and it meant that for one person [to go into] a nursing home, the family [ ], could go near bankruptcy…” quote by Barbara Mikulski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ad5/barbara-mikulski-8601_bankruptcy_in-my-very-first-term-there-was-an-issue_146180.jpg)