Max Planck

Physics German 1858 – 1947 661 quotes

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)

Consciousness is the fundamental reality.

Attributed

The universe is a symphony of vibrations.

Attributed

The human heart is the seat of all wisdom.

Attributed

The spiritual journey is a journey into the self.

Attributed

The greatest discovery is the discovery of oneself.

Attributed

Life is a gift, and we should cherish every moment of it.

Attributed

The universe is a mirror that reflects our inner state.

Attributed

The human mind is a powerful tool that can create our reality.

Attributed

The pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong endeavor.

Attributed

The world is full of wonders, if only we open our eyes to see them.

Attributed

Truth is not something to be discovered, but something to be created.

Attributed

The meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose of life is to give it away.

Attributed

Death is a natural part of the cycle of life.

Attributed

The spiritual path is a path of love and compassion.

Attributed

The human spirit is eternal and indestructible.

Attributed

The universe is a vast and mysterious place, and we are all a part of it.

Attributed

The greatest challenge in life is to know yourself.

Attributed

The highest aim of science is to unify the greatest possible number of phenomena by means of the simplest possible conceptual system.

Scientific Autobiography and Other Papers

Religion and natural science are fighting a joint battle in an incessant, never-ending crusade against skepticism and against dogmatism, against unbelief and superstition, and as the rallying cry in this crusade has always been, and will always be, 'On to God!'

Religion and Natural Science

The quantum hypothesis will never be understood by anyone who has not himself wrestled with the problem of the black body radiation.

Letter to Robert W. Wood 1900