Max Planck
Originated quantum theory with energy quanta
Most quoted
"The quantum theory is a theory of the elementary quanta of the cosmos and the chaos, the light and the darkness, the good and the evil, the life and the death, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, the past, the present, and the future, the here and the now, the everywhere and the always, the visible and the invisible, the known and the unknown, the finite and the infinite, the possible and the impossible, the necessary and the contingent, the universal and the particular, the general and the specific, the abstract and the concrete, the simple and the complex, the whole and the part, the one and the many, the same and the different, the identity and the difference, the unity and the multiplicity, the order and the chaos, the harmony and the discord, all things and nothing, being and non-being, existence and non-existence, reality and unreality, truth and falsehood, knowledge and ignorance, wisdom and folly, beauty and ugliness, good and evil, morality and immorality, ethics and unethics, religion and irreligion, spirituality and materialism, God and atheism, the universe and the void."
— from The Origin and Development of the Quantum Theory, 1920
"The quantum theory is a theory of the elementary quanta of the cosmos and the chaos, the light and the darkness, the good and the evil, the life and the death, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, the past, the present, and the future, the here and the now, the everywhere and the always, the visible and the invisible, the known and the unknown, the finite and the infinite, the possible and the impossible, the necessary and the contingent, the universal and the particular, the general and the specific, the abstract and the concrete, the simple and the complex, the whole and the part, the one and the many, the same and the different, the identity and the difference, the unity and the multiplicity, the order and the chaos, the harmony and the discord."
— from The Origin and Development of the Quantum Theory, 1920
"My original decision to devote myself to science was a direct result of the discovery which has never ceased to fill me with enthusiasm since my early youth - the comprehension of the far from obvious fact that the laws of human reasoning coincide with the laws governing the sequences of the impressions we receive from the world about us; that, therefore, pure reasoning can enable man to gain an insight into the mechanism of the latter. In that sense, it is obvious that science cannot be neutral, and cannot be isolated from life."
— from Scientific Autobiography, 1949
All quotes by Max Planck (661)
The laws of physics are universal and eternal.
The ultimate goal of all research is to understand the fundamental nature of reality.
The scientific revolution has transformed our understanding of the world.
The universe is a vast and complex system, but it is also a rational one.
The progress of science is driven by curiosity and the desire to understand.
The scientist must be a keen observer and a rigorous thinker.
The quantum of action is a fundamental constant of nature.
The world of physics is a world of order and harmony.
The ultimate aim of science is to find a unified theory of everything.
The scientific method is a powerful tool for understanding the universe.
The human mind is capable of grasping the most abstract concepts.
The pursuit of truth is the noblest endeavor of mankind.
Religion and natural science are fighting a joint battle in an incessant, never-relaxing crusade against skepticism and against dogmatism, against unbelief and superstition, and as its front-line generals in this battle are the banners of 'God and Nature'.
The highest aim of all science is to unify the diverse phenomena of nature into a single consistent system.
The pioneer in a new field of thought is more often than not a solitary figure, misunderstood and even ridiculed by his contemporaries.
The quantum hypothesis will never be understood by the old guard. It will only be accepted by the next generation.
I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.
The highest task of physics is to search for those laws which govern the phenomena of nature.
It is not the possession of truth, but the success which attends the search for it, that enriches the seeker and brings happiness to him.
To me, the idea of a personal God is an anthropomorphic concept which I cannot take seriously.
Contemporaries of Max Planck
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Max Planck (1858–1947).