Max Born Quotes

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Age Art Belief Evil Philosophy Physics Science

I believe there is no philosophical high-road in science, with epistemological signposts. No, we are in a jungle and find our way by trial and error, building our road behind us as we proceed.

Max Born

Philosophy, Believe, Philosophical

"Experiment and Theory in Physics" by Max Born, (p. 44), 1943.

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Those who say that the study of science makes a man an atheist, must be rather silly people.

Max Born

Atheist, Silly, Men

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The belief that there is only one truth and that oneself is in possession of it seems to me the deepest root of all evil that is in the world.

Max Born

Truth, Roots, Evil

Max Born (2013). “Physics in My Generation”, p.143, Springer

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Intellect distinguishes between the possible and the impossible; reason distinguishes between the sensible and the senseless. Even the possible can be senseless.

Max Born

Education, Impossible, Reason

"The Voyage into the Dark". Book by Max Born, 1961.

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I have tried to read philosophers of all ages and have found many illuminating ideas but no steady progress toward deeper knowledge and understanding. Science, however, gives me the feeling of steady progress: I am convinced that theoretical physics is actual philosophy. It has revolutionized fundamental concepts, e.g., about space and time (relativity), about causality (quantum theory), and about substance and matter (atomistics), and it has taught us new methods of thinking (complementarity) which are applicable far beyond physics.

Max Born

Philosophy, Knowledge, Science

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I believe that ideas such as absolute certitude, absolute exactness, final truth, etc. are figments of the imagination which should not be admissible in any field of science... This loosening of thinking seems to me to be the greatest blessing which modern science has given to us. For the belief in a single truth and in being the possessor thereof is the root cause of all evil in the world.

Max Born

Believe, Thinking, Blessing

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The belief in a single truth is the root cause for all evil in the world.

Max Born

Roots, Evil, World

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If God has made the world a perfect mechanism, He has at least conceded so much to our imperfect intellect that in order to predict little parts of it, we need not solve innumerable differential equations, but can use dice with fair success.

Max Born

Order, Perfect, Needs

Max Born (2013). “Physics in My Generation”, p.63, Springer

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Something which is against natural laws seems to me rather out of the question because it would be a depressive idea about God. It would make God smaller than he must be assumed. When he stated that these laws hold, then they hold, and he wouldn't make exceptions. This is too human an idea. Humans do such things, but not God.

Max Born

Law, Ideas, Atheism

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We need to make a world in which fewer children are born, and in which we take better care of them.

Max Born

Children, Needs, World

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There are two objectionable types of believers: those who believe the incredible and those who believe that 'belief' must be discarded and replaced by 'the scientific method.

Max Born

Believe, Two, Scientific Method

1951 Natural Philosophy of Cause and Chance.

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We have sought for firm ground and found none.
The deeper we penetrate, the more restless becomes the universe; all is rushing about and vibrating in a wild dance.

Max Born

Rushing, Restless, Found

Max Born (2013). “The Restless Universe”, p.277, Courier Corporation

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I am now convinced that theoretical physics is actually philosophy.

Max Born

Philosophy, Theoretical Physics, Convinced

"Schrodinger : Life and Thought" by Walter J. Moore, (p. 1), 1992.

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It is true that many scientists are not philosophically minded and have hitherto shown much skill and ingenuity but little wisdom.

Max Born

Science, Skills, Littles

"Natural Philosophy of Cause and Chance" by Max Born, (p. 2), 1964.

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Physics as we know it will be over in six months.

Max Born

Follow Your Dreams, Six Months, Physics

"A Brief History of Time". Book by Stephen Hawking, Ch. 11, March 1, 1988.

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No language which lends itself to visualizability can describe quantum jumps.

Max Born

Language, Quantum

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It is odd to think that there is a word for something which, strictly speaking, does not exist, namely, "rest." We distinguish between living and dead matter; between moving bodies and bodies at rest. This is a primitive point of view. What seems dead, a stone or the proverbial "door-nail," say, is actually forever in motion. We have merely become accustomed to judge by outward appearances; by the deceptive impressions we get through our senses.

Max Born

Moving, Science, Thinking

Max Born (2013). “The Restless Universe”, p.1, Courier Corporation

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Science is not formal logic-it needs the free play of the mind in as great a degree as any other creative art. It is true that this is a gift which can hardly be taught, but its growth can be encouraged in those who already posses it.

Max Born

Art, Science, Play

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If alpha [the fine-structure constant] were bigger than it really is, we should not be able to distinguish matter from ether [the vacuum, nothingness], and our task to disentangle the natural laws would be hopelessly difficult. The fact however that alpha has just its value 1/137 is certainly no chance but itself a law of nature. It is clear that the explanation of this number must be the central problem of natural philosophy.

Max Born

Philosophy, Law, Numbers

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My advice to those who which to learn the art of scientific prophesy is not to rely on abstract reason, but to decipher the secret language of Nature from Nature's documents: the facts of experience.

Max Born

Art, Advice, Secret

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The human race has today the means for annihilating itself--either in a fit of complete lunacy, i.e., in a big war...or by the careless handling of atomic technology, through a slow process of poisoning and of deterioration in its genetic structure.

Max Born

Peace, War, Mean

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All attempts to adapt our ethical code to our situation in the technological age have failed.

Max Born

Technology, Age, Ethics

"My Life & My Views". Book by Max Born, 1968.

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But in practical affairs, particularly in politics, men are needed who combine human experience and interest in human relations with a knowledge of science and technology. Moreover, they must be men of action and not contemplation. I have the impression that no method of education can produce people with all the qualities required. I am haunted by the idea that this break in human civilization, caused by the discovery of the scientific method, may be irreparable.

Max Born

Education, Science, Technology

"My Life & My Views". Book by Max Born, 1968.

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During my span of life science has become a matter of public concern and the l'art pour l'art standpoint of my youth is now obsolete. Science has become an integral and most important part of our civilization, and scientific work means contributing to its development. Science in our technical age has social, economic, and political functions, and however remote one's own work is from technical application it is a link in the chain of actions and decisions which determine the fate of the human race. I realized this aspect of science in its full impact only after Hiroshima.

Max Born

Art, Mean, Science

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But in practical affairs, particularly in politics, men are needed who combine human experience and interest in human relations with a knowledge of science and technology.

Max Born

Men, Technology, Scientific Method

"My Life & My Views". Book by Max Born, 1968.

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Born: December 11, 1882
Died: January 5, 1970
Occupation: Physicist
Cite this Page: Citation

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