Wilhelm Ostwald
He made significant contributions to catalysis, chemical equilibria, and reaction velocities, winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Most quoted
"All scientific work is incomplete — whether it be observational or experimental. All scientific work is liable to be upset or modified by advancing knowledge. That does not confer upon us a freedom to ignore the knowledge we already have, or to postpone the action that it appears to demand at a given time."
— from Essays
"The true method of discovery is like the flight of an aeroplane. It starts from the ground of particular observation; it makes a flight in the thin air of imaginative generalization; and it again lands for renewed observation rendered acute by rational interpretation."
— from The Philosophy of Science
"The laws of thermodynamics control, in the last resort, the rise and fall of political systems, the freedom or bondage of nations, the movements of commerce and industry, the origins of wealth and poverty, and the general physical welfare of the human race."
— from Der energetische Imperativ, 1912
All quotes by Wilhelm Ostwald (387)
The state should be organized according to the principles of energetic efficiency.
International language (Esperanto) is a tool for increasing the efficiency of human communication and thus energy exchange.
The development of technology is the practical application of energetic principles.
The 'crisis' in physics is due to the persistence of outdated mechanistic concepts.
The future of chemistry lies in physical chemistry, which is the application of energetic principles to chemical phenomena.
The 'elements' are not fundamental substances but rather specific forms of energy.
The periodic table is an energetic classification of the elements.
The concept of 'chemical affinity' can be fully explained by energetic considerations.
The 'heat death' of the universe is an inevitable consequence of the second law of thermodynamics.
The 'origin of life' can be understood as a complex series of energy transformations.
The 'mind' is an energetic system, and consciousness is a form of energy processing.
The 'history of science' is the history of the increasing understanding and control of energy.
The 'religious impulse' is a manifestation of the human desire to understand and control the ultimate sources of energy.
The 'art of living' is the art of managing one's personal energy efficiently.
The 'state of nature' is a state of inefficient energy distribution.
The 'ideal society' is one that maximizes the production and efficient use of energy for the benefit of all.
The 'scientific revolution' was essentially an energetic revolution.
The 'progress of humanity' is measured by its increasing ability to harness and transform energy.
The energy of the world is constant; its entropy strives towards a maximum.
The fundamental concepts of energy are destined to play a leading role in the general thinking of mankind.
Contemporaries of Wilhelm Ostwald
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Wilhelm Ostwald (1853–1932).