Karl Popper Quotes

Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.

True science teaches, above all, to doubt

The scientist is a lover of truth for the very love of truth itself, wherever it may lead.

Even if I stumble on to the absolute truth of any aspect of the universe, I will not realise my luck and instead will spend my life trying to find flaws in this understanding - such is the role of a scientist.

The common aim of all science is the gradual removal of prejudice.

The doubter is a true man of science: he doubts only himself and his interpretations, but he believes in science.

Science is not wisdom.

It is in the best interests of civilization and our economy and our nation to understand what objective truths are as revealed by the methods and tools of science.

I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every authority which stood in their way.

Science never gives up searching for truth, since it never claims to have achieved it. It is civilizing because it puts truth ahead of all else, including personal interests.

The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.

Science exists, moreover, only as a journey toward truth. Stifle dissent and you end that journey.

Understanding truth is the primary objective of science, not doing good for the world.

Science is nothing but perception.

Science is basically an inoculation against charlatans.

The first duty of man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth.

The beauty of science hugely outranks the charms of superstition.

Science is a philosophy of discovery. Intelligent design is a philosophy of ignorance. You cannot build a program of discovery on the assumption that nobody is smart enough to figure out the answer to a problem.

Science is the tool of the Western mind and with it more doors can be opened than with bare hands.

Hope is easy; knowledge is hard. Science is the one domain in which we human beings make a truly heroic effort to counter our innate biases and wishful thinking. Science is the one endeavor in which we have developed a refined methodology for separating what a person hopes is true from what he has good reason to believe.

Scientists who think science consists of unprejudiced data-gathering without speculation are merely cows grazing on the pasture of knowledge.

There is no other species on Earth that does science. It is, so far, entirely a human invention, evolved by natural selection in the cerebral cortex for one simple reason: it works. It is not perfect. It can be misused. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything.

Skepticism is not an end in itself; it is a tool for the discovery of truths.

At root what is needed for scientific inquiry is just receptivity to data, skill in reasoning, and yearning for truth. Admittedly, ingenuity can help too.

Science is the most reliable guide in life.