George Santayana Quotes

Science is a way of equipping yourself with the tools to interpret what happens in front of you.

Science is not wisdom.

...science is nothing but developed perception, interpreted intent, common-sense rounded out and minutely articulated. It is therefore as much an instinctive product, as much a stepping forth of human courage in the dark, as is any inevitable dream or impulsive action.

Science is nothing but trained and organized common sense differing from the latter only as a veteran may differ from a raw recruit: and its methods differ from those of common sense only as far as the guardsman's cut and thrust differ from the manner in which a savage wields his club.

Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic.

The man of science is a poor philosopher.

Science is nothing but perception.

The scientist is indistinguishable from the common man in his sense of evidence, except that the scientist is more careful.

Philosophy is empty if it isn't based on science. Science discovers, philosophy interprets.

Science is a mechanism, a way of trying to improve your knowledge of nature. It's a system for testing your thoughts against the universe, and seeing whether they match.

Without science, everything is a miracle.

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.

All true knowledge contradicts common sense.

Observations always involve theory.

Science begets knowledge; opinion, ignorance.

The invention of the scientific method and science is, I'm sure we'll all agree, the most powerful intellectual idea, the most powerful framework for thinking and investigating and understanding and challenging the world around us that there is, and it rests on the premise that any idea is there to be attacked. If it withstands the attack then it lives to fight another day and if it doesn't withstand the attack then down it goes. Religion doesn't seem to work like that.

Reason, observation, and experience; the holy trinity of science.

The analysis of concepts is for the understanding nothing more than what the magnifying glass is for sight.

My definition of an educated man is the fellow who knows the right thing to do at the time it has to be done. You can be sincere and still be stupid.

Not to sound corny, but intelligence is big. Everything fades, and everything can be modified. But intelligence is something you can't fake. I'm not even talking about whether you can read a thesaurus backwards. But there is a beauty in common sense.

Anecdotal thinking comes naturally; science requires training.

Science is nothing, but trained and organized common sense.

Science, we are repeatedly told, is the most reliable form of knowledge about the world because it is based on testable hypotheses. Religion, by contrast, is based on faith. The term 'doubting Thomas' well illustrates the difference.

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

When we examine the opinions of men, we find that nothing is more uncommon than common sense; or, in other words, they lack judgment to discover plain truths or to reject absurdities and palpable contradictions.