Action Quote by William Kingdon Clifford
![“Remember that [scientific thought] is the guide of action; that the truth which it arrives at is not that which we can ideally contemplate without error, but that which we may act upon without fear; and you cannot fail to see that scientific thought is not an accompaniment or condition of human…” quote by William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5a3/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_action_remember-that-scientific-thought-is-the_2230855.jpg)
“Remember that [scientific thought] is the guide of action; that the truth which it arrives at is not that which we can ideally contemplate without error, but that which we may act upon without fear; and you cannot fail to see that scientific thought is not an accompaniment or condition of human progress, but human progress itself.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Ethics of Belief, 1877, essay on scientific philosophy
Scientific thought drives action; its truth is provisional but sufficient for fearless application, making it the engine of progress
In simple terms: Science guides action despite imperfect knowledge
Key Takeaway
Act on scientific insight confidently
Themes
science
philosophy
progress
epistemology
Mood
inquisitive
optimistic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- Policy making
- technological development
- education reform
- public health initiatives
Key Concepts
Fallibilism
pragmatism
rationalism
Questions to Reflect On
- What limits should we set on acting before absolute certainty?
- How do we manage errors from provisional scientific claims?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on provisional truths may cause errors
![“[When nature appears complicated:] The moment we contemplate it as it is, and attain a position from which we can take a commanding view, though but of a small part of its plan, we never fail to recognize that sublime simplicity on which the mind rests satisfied that it has attained the truth.” quote by John Herschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c0b/john-herschel-18983_complicated_when-nature-appears-complicated-the-mome_203650.jpg)
![“[The lion] began to contemplate me with a kind of quiet premeditation, like that of a slow-witted man fondling an unaccustomed thought.” quote by Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ad2/beryl-markham-6709_contemplate_the-lion-began-to-contemplate-me-with-a_193009.jpg)
![“Newton supposed that the case of the planet was similar to that of [a ball spun around on the end of an elastic string]; that it was always pulled in the direction of the sun, and that this attraction or pulling of the sun produced the revolution of the planet, in the same way that the traction or…” quote by William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/860/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_cause_newton-supposed-that-the-case-of-the-pla_381195.jpg)
