Quote: most distinguish fact from theory and hypothesis; otherwise will forget that something is an assumption and treat it as fact

Quotation

Letter to Richard Taylor, London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine, Jan 1844] But it is always safe and philosophic to distinguish, as much as in our power, fact from theory; the experience of past ages is sufficient to show us the wisdom of such a course; and considering the constant tendency of the mind to rest on an assumption, and when it answers every present purpose, to forget that is an assumption, we ought to remember that it, in such cases, becomes a prejudice, and inevitably interferes, more or less, with a clear-sighted judgment. I cannot doubt but that he who, as a wise philosopher, has most power of penetrating the secrets of nature, and guessing the hypothesis at her mode of working, will also be most careful, for his own safe progress and that of others, to distinguish that knowledge which consists of assumption, by which I mean theory and hypothesis, from that which is the knowledge of facts and laws; never raising the former to the dignity or authority of the later, nor confusing the latter more than is inevitable with the former.?an is inevitable with the former.   Google-1   Google-2

Published before 1923

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Topic: scientific method (40 items)