--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Practical sciences proceed by building…" description: "\"Practical sciences proceed by building up; theoretical science by resolving into components.\" — Thomas Aquinas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/thomas-aquinas-837_building_practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-u_2738594.jpg" --- # Practical sciences proceed by building up; theoretical… ![“Practical sciences proceed by building up; theoretical science by resolving into components.” quote by Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/thomas-aquinas-837_building_practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-u_2738594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/thomas-aquinas-837_building_practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-u_2738594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/thomas-aquinas-837_building_practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-u_2738594.jpg) > “Practical sciences proceed by building up; theoretical science by resolving into components.” [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Practical knowledge builds on existing structures, while theoretical work dissects ideas into fundamental parts. **In simple terms:** Practice builds; theory breaks down. Key Takeaway Apply both methods to learning. Themes education methodology science Mood analytical reflective Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - engineering - academic research - skill acquisition - problem solving Key Concepts constructivism reductionism Questions to Reflect On - When do you need a practical approach versus a theoretical one? - How can you balance both? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on one can limit holistic understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Statistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics/) ## Related quotes > [The whole point of building theoretical systems is to explain what humans know by pre-theoretical experience. 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Superman kept taking over Clark Kent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-roethlisberger/big-ben-just-kept-building-up-it-ended-up-coming-off-the-field-it/) [Ben Roethlisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-roethlisberger/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) ## More by Thomas Aquinas > [Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/grace-does-not-destroy-nature-it-perfects-it/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [Justice is in subjects as well as in rulers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/justice-is-in-subjects-as-well-as-in-rulers/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“A capacity as such is directed to an act. 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God is spirit, without bodily dimensions. Firstly, no body can cause change without itself being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/god-is-not-like-creatures-made-up-of-parts-god-is-spirit-without/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) [Explore all 357 Thomas Aquinas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. 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We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Practical sciences proceed by building up; theoretical science by resolving into components.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Aquinas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-up-theoretical-science-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Building" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-up-theoretical-science-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/thomas-aquinas-837_building_practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-u_2738594.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/thomas-aquinas-837_building_practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-u_2738594.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/thomas-aquinas-837_building_practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-u_2738594.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Practical sciences proceed by building up; theoretical science by resolving into components.” — Thomas Aquinas", "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": "Thomas Aquinas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Practical sciences proceed by building up;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-up-theoretical-science-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/practical-sciences-proceed-by-building-up-theoretical-science-by/#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 } } ] } ```