---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I agree that science is the best way of…"
description: "\"I agree that science is the best way of understanding the natural world, and therefore that we have reason to believe what the best science tells us ab..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/t-m-scanlon-81454_agree_i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of_2274706.jpg"
---

#  I agree that science is the best way of understanding the…

![“I agree that science is the best way of understanding the natural world, and therefore that we have reason to believe what the best science tells us about the objects in that world and the relations between them. But this does not mean that the natural world is the only thing we can have true…” quote by T. M. Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/t-m-scanlon-81454_agree_i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of_2274706.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/t-m-scanlon-81454_agree_i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of_2274706.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/t-m-scanlon-81454_agree_i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of_2274706.jpg)

> “I agree that science is the best way of understanding the natural world, and therefore that we have reason to believe what the best science tells us about the objects in that world and the relations between them. But this does not mean that the natural world is the only thing we can have true beliefs about. The status of material objects as things that are "real" is a matter of their having physical properties, such as weight, solidity, and spatio-temporal location. In order to be real, such things need not have, in addition to these properties, some further kind of metaphysical existence.”

[T. M. Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-scanlon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Science provides the most reliable method for understanding the physical world, but truth can also be found in non‑material domains.

**In simple terms:** Science is best for nature, yet other truths exist.

Key Takeaway

Recognize multiple sources of knowledge.

Themes

epistemology metaphysics truth science reality

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- academic debate
- personal belief formation
- interdisciplinary research

Key Concepts

Scientific method philosophical inquiry ethical reasoning

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we balance scientific and non‑scientific knowledge?
- Can moral truths be verified scientifically?

A Different Perspective

Science may not capture subjective or moral truths fully.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Agree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) [Agree Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree-science-556607/) [Being real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-real/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Metaphysical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphysical/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-world/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-matter-1442683/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Relation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relation/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-tells-1071576/) [True Beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-beliefs-671391/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Understanding Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding-natural-820983/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm extremely interested in science as the mythos within which I live. Science tells me what kind of animal I am, what kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-hawthorne-deming/i-m-extremely-interested-in-science-as-the-mythos-within-which-i-live/)

[Alison Hawthorne Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-hawthorne-deming/)

> [“People have argued about God and government for centuries, and still they don't agree. But science, confronts opinion with facts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-m-friedman/people-have-argued-about-god-and-government-for-centuries-and-still/)

[David M. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-m-friedman/)

> [Wealth is a deep understanding of the natural world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/wealth-is-a-deep-understanding-of-the-natural-world/)

[Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/)

> [“No matter what, that friendship is real. No matter how much you dissect it, or talk about it, or analyze it, it'll always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ehrenhaft/no-matter-what-that-friendship-is-real-no-matter-how-much-you-dissect/)

[Daniel Ehrenhaft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ehrenhaft/)

> [“Keeping it REAL - no matter what!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-watson/keeping-it-real-no-matter-what/)

[Mike Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-watson/)

> [ “\[T\]he nature of science is not that of a steady, linear progression toward the Truth, but rather a tortuous road, often characterized by dead… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimo-pigliucci/t-he-nature-of-science-is-not-that-of-a-steady-linear-progression/)

[Massimo Pigliucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimo-pigliucci/)

> [An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/an-understanding-of-the-natural-world-and-what-s-in-it-is-a-source-of/)

[David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/)

> [“The closer you get to real matter, rock air fire and wood, boy, the more spiritual life is. All these people thinking they're hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-closer-you-get-to-real-matter-rock-air-fire-and-wood-boy-the-more-3/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [Science offers us the possibility of understanding natural rhythms and events that must have seemed like the work of angry and unpredictable gods to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-roberts/science-offers-us-the-possibility-of-understanding-natural-rhythms/)

[Alice Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-roberts/)

> [The closer you get to real matter, rock air fire and wood, boy, the more spiritual the world is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-closer-you-get-to-real-matter-rock-air-fire-and-wood-boy-the-more-2/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“The closer you get to real matter, rock air fire and wood, boy, the more spiritual the world is. All these people thinking they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-closer-you-get-to-real-matter-rock-air-fire-and-wood-boy-the-more/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Always keep it Real with yourself no matter what because if you can't be real with yourself how can you ever be real any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-myers-jr/always-keep-it-real-with-yourself-no-matter-what-because-if-you-can-t/)

[Michael Myers Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-myers-jr/)

> [Better understanding of the natural world not only enhances all of us as human beings, but can also be harnessed for the better good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nurse/better-understanding-of-the-natural-world-not-only-enhances-all-of-us/)

[Paul Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nurse/)

> [I am true to myself and my beliefs I am glad I was taught to accept me for me to live life to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-true-to-myself-and-my-beliefs-i-am-glad-i-was-taught-to-accept/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Being true to our beliefs—even when doing so isn’t popular, easy, or fun—keeps us safely on the path that leads to eternal life with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-m-dibb/being-true-to-our-beliefs-even-when-doing-so-isn-t-popular-easy-or/)

[Ann M. Dibb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-m-dibb/)

## More by T. M. Scanlon

> [History must judge John F. Kennedy not only by what he was able to accomplish in a thousand days, but also by what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-scanlon/history-must-judge-john-f-kennedy-not-only-by-what-he-was-able-to/)

[T. M. Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-scanlon/)

> [I take facts about reasons to be fundamental in two ways. First, I believe that facts about reasons are not reducible to or analyzable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-scanlon/i-take-facts-about-reasons-to-be-fundamental-in-two-ways-first-i/)

[T. M. Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-scanlon/)

[Explore all 3 T. M. Scanlon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-scanlon/)

## More Agree quotes

> [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/)

[John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/)

[Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/)

> [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/)

[Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/)

> [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/)

[Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/)

> [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/)

[Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/)

> [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/)

[Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/)

> [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/)

[Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/)

> [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/)

[Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/)

> [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/)

[Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/)

> [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/a-contract-is-an-ask-game-and-if-it-asks-for-an-hour-and-i-submit-to/)

[Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/)

[Browse all 3,079 Agree quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I agree that science is the best way of understanding the natural world, and therefore that we have reason to believe what the best science tells us about the objects in that world and the relations between them. But this does not mean that the natural world is the only thing we can have true beliefs about. The status of material objects as things that are \"real\" is a matter of their having physical properties, such as weight, solidity, and spatio-temporal location. In order to be real, such things need not have, in addition to these properties, some further kind of metaphysical existence.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "T. M. Scanlon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-scanlon/i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of-understanding-the-natural/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Agree"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-scanlon/i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of-understanding-the-natural/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/t-m-scanlon-81454_agree_i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of_2274706.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/t-m-scanlon-81454_agree_i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of_2274706.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/t-m-scanlon-81454_agree_i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of_2274706.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I agree that science is the best way of understanding the natural world, and therefore that we have reason…” — T. M. Scanlon",
                "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": "T. M. Scanlon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-scanlon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I agree that science is the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-scanlon/i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of-understanding-the-natural/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-scanlon/i-agree-that-science-is-the-best-way-of-understanding-the-natural/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
