Ignorance Is Not A Simple Lack Of

True Ignorance Is Not The Absence Of Knowledge, But The Refusal To Acquire It.

Reason Like Science, Grows By Way Of Mutual Criticism; The Only Possible Way Of Planning Its Growth Is To Develop Those Institutions That Safeguard. The Freedom Of Thought

Science Is The Century-old Endeavour To Bring Together By Means Of Systematic Thought The Perceptible Phenomena Of This World Into As Thorough-going An Association As Possible. To Put It Boldly, It Is The Attempt At A Posterior Reconstruction Of Existence By The Process Of Conceptualization. Science Can Only Ascertain What Is, But Not What Should Be, And Outside Of Its Domain Value Judgements Of All Kinds Remain Necessary.

A System Such As Classical Mechanics May Be 'scientific' To Any Degree You Like; But Those Who Uphold It Dogmatically - Believing, Perhaps, That It Is Their Business To Defend Such A Successful System Against Criticism As Long As It Is Not Conclusively Disproved - Are Adopting The Very Reverse Of That Critical Attitude Which In My View Is The Proper One For The Scientist.

The Genuine Rationalist Does Not Think That He Or Anyone Else Is In Possession Of The Truth; Nor Does He Think That Mere Criticism As Such Helps Us Achieve New Ideas. But He Does Think That, In The Sphere Of Ideas, Only Critical Discussion Can Help Us Sort The Wheat From The Chaff.