Jacques Monod
A molecular biologist who, with François Jacob, elucidated the mechanisms of gene regulation, particularly the operon model.
Most quoted
"Man must at last wake out of his millenary dream; and in doing so, wake to his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives on the boundary of an alien world; a world that is deaf to his music, just as indifferent to his hopes as it is to his sufferings or his crimes."
— from Chance and Necessity, 1970
"Pure chance, absolutely free but blind, at the very root of the stupendous edifice of evolution: this central concept of modern biology is no longer one among other possible or even conceivable hypotheses. It is today the sole conceivable hypothesis, the only one compatible with observed and tested fact."
— from Chance and Necessity, 1970
"And man must at last wake out of his millenary dream and discover his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives on the boundary of an alien world; a world that is deaf to his music, and as indifferent to his hopes as it is to his suffering or his crimes."
— from Chance and Necessity, 1970
All quotes by Jacques Monod (353)
The scientific revolution has forced us to abandon the illusion that the universe has a purpose.
The genetic code is a dictionary, not a grammar.
The scientific enterprise is the only one that can give meaning to human life.
The living world is a world of objects that are both autonomous and teleonomic.
The scientific method is a dialogue with nature.
The scientific attitude is the only one that can lead to progress.
The cell is a chemical factory.
The scientific worldview is the only one that is compatible with human dignity.
The scientific method is a process of self-correction.
The scientific attitude is a form of intellectual honesty.
The cell is a self-regulating system.
The scientific worldview is the only one that can provide a basis for a universal ethic.
The scientific method is a way of asking questions.
The cell is a complex adaptive system.
The scientific worldview is the only one that can lead to human liberation.
The scientific attitude is a form of intellectual courage.
The scientific method is a tool for understanding the world.
The scientific attitude is a commitment to skepticism.
The cell is a molecular machine.
The scientific worldview is the only one that can provide a foundation for a just society.
Contemporaries of Jacques Monod
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Jacques Monod (1910–1976).