--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Theory-free science makes about as much…" description: "\"Theory-free science makes about as much sense as value-free politics.\" — Stephen Jay Gould" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/stephen-jay-gould-885_inspirational_theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much_1401251.png" --- # Theory-free science makes about as much sense as… ![“Theory-free science makes about as much sense as value-free politics.” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/stephen-jay-gould-885_inspirational_theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much_1401251.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/stephen-jay-gould-885_inspirational_theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much_1401251.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/stephen-jay-gould-885_inspirational_theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much_1401251.png) > “Theory-free science makes about as much sense as value-free politics.” [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science cannot be free of theory, just as politics cannot be free of values; both are inherently interpretive. **In simple terms:** Science and politics both involve underlying assumptions. Key Takeaway Recognize and examine underlying assumptions. Themes science politics philosophy Mood analytical critical Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - research design - public discourse Key Concepts epistemology ethics bias Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions shape your work? - How do values influence scientific conclusions? A Different Perspective Pure objectivity is unattainable, leading to contested conclusions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Statistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [The concept of a value-free science is absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/the-concept-of-a-value-free-science-is-absurd/) [Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [There is no such thing as philosophy-free science, just science that has been conducted without any consideration of its underlying philosophical assumptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/there-is-no-such-thing-as-philosophy-free-science-just-science-that/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [The theory of the free press is not that the truth will be presented completely or perfectly in any one instance, but that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-theory-of-the-free-press-is-not-that-the-truth-will-be-presented/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is certainly not the least charm of a theory that it is refutable; it is precisely thereby that it attracts the more subtle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-certainly-not-the-least-charm-of-a-theory-that-it-is-refutable/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [There is no pure, disinterested, theory-free observation,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/there-is-no-pure-disinterested-theory-free-observation/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) > [The key to fixing public financing is to free politics from big money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/the-key-to-fixing-public-financing-is-to-free-politics-from-big-money/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Judges make tough decisions on child abuse, divorce, property disputes, drunk driving, domestic violence and other issues that should be free from politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/judges-make-tough-decisions-on-child-abuse-divorce-property-disputes/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) > [We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-winklevoss/we-have-elected-to-put-our-money-and-faith-in-a-mathematical/) [Tyler Winklevoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-winklevoss/) > [What I learned in politics (is that) it's a very enslaving place to be. It's hard to be free in politics and if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-kilpatrick/what-i-learned-in-politics-is-that-it-s-a-very-enslaving-place-to-be/) [Kwame Kilpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-kilpatrick/) > [I wish that a White House celebration of your athletic achievements could be free from politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cain/i-wish-that-a-white-house-celebration-of-your-athletic-achievements/) [Will Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cain/) > [There is enough space for everyone in the Tamil industry and it is free of politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babu-antony/there-is-enough-space-for-everyone-in-the-tamil-industry-and-it-is/) [Babu Antony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babu-antony/) > [There is value in being free and spontaneous but the greatest power comes from seeing and using what results from that freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-katchen/there-is-value-in-being-free-and-spontaneous-but-the-greatest-power/) [Carole Katchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-katchen/) > [Economics has increasingly become the science of human behavior in general, and it's all the more unlikely to think that it can possibly be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/economics-has-increasingly-become-the-science-of-human-behavior-in/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Economic systems are not value-free columns of numbers based on rules of reason, but ways of expressing what varying societies believe is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/economic-systems-are-not-value-free-columns-of-numbers-based-on-rules/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## More by Stephen Jay Gould > [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [In his anti-Darwinian book... (and eponymously named The Neck of the Giraffe ), Francis Hitching tells the story... "The need to survive by reaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/in-his-anti-darwinian-book-and-eponymously-named-the-neck-of-the/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [... many folks take them seriously because they just 'know' that evolution can never be seen in the immediate here and now. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/many-folks-take-them-seriously-because-they-just-know-that-evolution/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Charles Darwin viewed the fossil record more as an embarrassment than as an aid to his theory ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/charles-darwin-viewed-the-fossil-record-more-as-an-embarrassment-than/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Zoocentrism is the primary fallacy of human sociobiology, for this view of human behavior rests on the argument that if the actions of "lower"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/zoocentrism-is-the-primary-fallacy-of-human-sociobiology-for-this/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The world, unfortunately, rarely matches our hopes and consistently refuses to behave in a reasonable manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-world-unfortunately-rarely-matches-our-hopes-and-consistently/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The true beauty of nature is her amplitude; she exists neither for nor because of us, and possesses a staying power that all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-true-beauty-of-nature-is-her-amplitude-she-exists-neither-for-nor/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [With copious evidence ranging from Plato's haughtiness to Beethoven's tirades, we may conclude that the most brilliant people of history tend to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/with-copious-evidence-ranging-from-plato-s-haughtiness-to-beethoven-s/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [When scientists need to explain difficult points of theory, illustration by hypothetical example - rather than by total abstraction - works well (perhaps indispensably)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/when-scientists-need-to-explain-difficult-points-of-theory/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The truly awesome intellectuals in our history have not merely made discoveries; they have woven variegated, but firm, tapestries of comprehensive coverage. The tapestries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-truly-awesome-intellectuals-in-our-history-have-not-merely-made/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Science simply cannot adjudicate the issue of God's possible superintendence of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/science-simply-cannot-adjudicate-the-issue-of-god-s-possible/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [But if we laugh with derision, we will never understand. Human intellectual capacity has not altered for thousands of years so far as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/but-if-we-laugh-with-derision-we-will-never-understand-human/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [We debase the richness of both nature and our own minds if we view the great pageant of our intellectual history as a compendium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/we-debase-the-richness-of-both-nature-and-our-own-minds-if-we-view/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) [Explore all 341 Stephen Jay Gould quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Theory-free science makes about as much sense as value-free politics.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Jay Gould" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much-sense-as-value-free-politics/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inspirational" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much-sense-as-value-free-politics/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/stephen-jay-gould-885_inspirational_theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much_1401251.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/stephen-jay-gould-885_inspirational_theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much_1401251.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/stephen-jay-gould-885_inspirational_theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much_1401251.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Theory-free science makes about as much sense as value-free politics.” — Stephen Jay Gould", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stephen Jay Gould", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Theory-free science makes about as much...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much-sense-as-value-free-politics/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/theory-free-science-makes-about-as-much-sense-as-value-free-politics/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```