Jacques Monod

Biology French 1910 – 1976 353 quotes

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 attitude is a constant questioning of all assumptions.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a commitment to reason and logic.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a rejection of all dogma and superstition.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a belief in the power of human intelligence to understand the world.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a recognition of the beauty and elegance of the natural world.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a source of profound wonder and awe.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a path to liberation from ignorance and fear.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a moral imperative for humanity.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is the only hope for the future of mankind.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a testament to the human spirit's capacity for truth.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a celebration of the human intellect.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a profound act of courage.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a commitment to the ongoing process of discovery.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a recognition that knowledge is power, and that power must be used responsibly.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a call to action, to engage with the world and understand it.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a rejection of anthropocentrism.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a recognition of the interconnectedness of all things.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a profound sense of humility in the face of the universe.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a commitment to intellectual honesty.

Chance and Necessity 1970

The scientific attitude is a constant striving for clarity and precision.

Chance and Necessity 1970