--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I suppose that, so long as the human mind…" description: "\"“I suppose that, so long as the human mind exists, it will not escape its deep-seated instinct to personify its intellectual conceptions. The science o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b06/thomas-henry-huxley-14414_human-mind_i-suppose-that-so-long-as-the-human-mind_2700519.jpg" --- # I suppose that, so long as the human mind exists, it will… ![“I suppose that, so long as the human mind exists, it will not escape its deep-seated instinct to personify its intellectual conceptions. The science of the present day is as full of this particular form of intellectual shadow-worship as is the nescience of ignorant ages. The difference is that the…” quote by Thomas Henry Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b06/thomas-henry-huxley-14414_human-mind_i-suppose-that-so-long-as-the-human-mind_2700519.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b06/thomas-henry-huxley-14414_human-mind_i-suppose-that-so-long-as-the-human-mind_2700519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b06/thomas-henry-huxley-14414_human-mind_i-suppose-that-so-long-as-the-human-mind_2700519.jpg) > ““I suppose that, so long as the human mind exists, it will not escape its deep-seated instinct to personify its intellectual conceptions. The science of the present day is as full of this particular form of intellectual shadow-worship as is the nescience of ignorant ages. The difference is that the philosopher who is worthy of the name knows that his personified hypotheses, such as law, force and ether, and the like, are merely useful symbols, while the ignorant and the careless take them for adequate expressions of reality.”” [Thomas Henry Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-henry-huxley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science uses symbols; philosophers recognize them as tools, not reality. **In simple terms:** Science uses useful symbols, not literal truths. Key Takeaway Remember scientific models are provisional. Themes science philosophy epistemology Mood inquisitive skeptical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - research - public policy - media literacy Key Concepts history of science critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish model from reality? - What are limits of scientific metaphors? 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