Science is what you know, philosophy is what you don't know.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Russell contrasts science (what we know) with philosophy (what we don’t know).
- In plain terms
- Science knows, philosophy admits ignorance.
- What can you take from it?
- Philosophy highlights the limits of knowledge.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where do science and philosophy overlap?
- How does philosophy guide scientific inquiry?
Another view
Science also deals with unknowns through hypothesis.
More from Bertrand Russell
Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence; it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines.
Permalink to quote #201 So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.
Permalink to quote #203 In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.
Permalink to quote #200
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