Applied science Quote by Vernon Coleman
“Now, if doctors were aware that medicine was not a science and that they were pulling what is undoubtedly the largest and most successful confidence trick ever tried the damage would be fairly minimal. But the problem is compounded by the fact that the vast majority of doctors believe the lie that they are taught; they believe that they are scientists, practising an applied science.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Medical Myth, 1990
Doctors often claim scientific authority despite medicine's empirical limits, leading to overconfidence and potential harm.
In simple terms: Medicine isn’t fully scientific; doctors act as if it is.
Key Takeaway
Question the scientific basis of medicine.
Themes
science
medicine
confidence
overconfidence
Mood
skeptical
critical
informative
Type
essay
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- patient care
- medical education
- policy making
- public perception
Key Concepts
philosophy of science
medical ethics
public health
Questions to Reflect On
- How can patients discern scientific truth?
- What reforms could improve medical honesty?
A Different Perspective
Science may be overstated, but practical outcomes still matter.
![“Even a pure mathematician may find his appreciation of this geometry [applied geometry] quickened, since there is no mathematician so pure that he feels no interest at all in the physical world; but, in so far as he succumbs to this temptation, he will be abandoning his purely mathematical position.” quote by G.H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/g-h-hardy-2-30074_applications_even-a-pure-mathematician-may-find-his-a_1015722.jpg)
