Michael Polanyi
Pioneer in reaction kinetics and philosophy of science
Quotes by Michael Polanyi
The human person is a bridge between the known and the unknown.
The pursuit of beauty is a path to understanding.
Our knowledge is always embedded in a context of personal commitment.
The meaning of life is not a fixed entity, but a dynamic process.
To be human is to be a seeker of truth.
The human mind is capable of grasping reality in its fullness.
The pursuit of knowledge is an act of love.
The ideal of a completely explicit knowledge is a delusion.
Objectivity, in the sense of detachment, is an illusion.
Into every act of knowing, there enters a passionate contribution of the person knowing what is being known.
Science is a community of inquirers, not a collection of facts.
The pursuit of science is not a detached observation, but a passionate commitment.
The scientific method is not a set of rules, but a tradition of inquiry.
Truth is not found by eliminating personal judgment, but by exercising it responsibly.
The freedom of science is not merely a political right, but an epistemological necessity.
The belief in objective truth is itself a passionate commitment.
The ideal of a value-free science is a dangerous illusion.
The meaning of a scientific discovery is not exhausted by its explicit formulation.
The scientist's commitment to truth is a moral act.
We cannot understand a skill by merely observing its external manifestations.