Knowledge Quote by Steven Pinker
““Science is thus a paradigm for how we ought to gain knowledge—not the particular methods or institutions of science but its value system, namely to seek to explain the world, to evaluate candidate explanations objectively, and to be cognizant of the tentativeness and uncertainty of our understanding at any time.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Better Angels of Our Nature, Steven Pinker, 2011
Science is a value system for seeking explanations, evaluating them objectively, and acknowledging uncertainty.
In simple terms: Science guides how we learn and accept limits.
Key Takeaway
Embrace scientific humility.
Themes
knowledge
methodology
uncertainty
explanation
objectivity
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- research design
- policy making
- education
- public discourse
Key Concepts
epistemology
critical thinking
tentativeness
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you handle uncertainty in decisions?
- What values guide your search for truth?
A Different Perspective
Science can be misused when values are ignored.
![“[...] science carries us towards an understanding of how the world is, rather than how we would wish it to be [...]” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/715/carl-sagan-160_knowledge_science-carries-us-towards-an-understand_85840.jpg)
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
