Michael Polanyi

The authority of science is essentially traditional.

The scientist must believe in the rationality of the universe and in his own capacity to understand it.

The act of understanding is a leap, not a step-by-step deduction.

The meaning of a theory lies beyond its formal structure, in its capacity to guide our intuition to new discoveries.

The personal participation of the knower in the knowledge he believes himself to possess is the central theme of this book.

The progress of science is a journey into the unknown, guided by faith in a hidden reality.

The art of knowing is the art of integrating clues into a coherent pattern.

The scientific community is a society of explorers bound by a common commitment to the truth.

The logic of scientific discovery is the logic of commitment and risk.

The mind is not a mirror but a lamp.

The act of creation in science is akin to the act of creation in art.

The ultimate ground of our beliefs is a fiduciary framework that we accept without proof.

The process of learning a skill is a process of indwelling, of interiorizing the principles of the art.

The scientist's intuition is his most precious instrument.

The universe is a story still being written, and we are its readers and its authors.

The quest for knowledge is a moral enterprise.