William Whewell Quotes
1794–1866 England
William Whewell (May 24, 1794 – March 6, 1866) was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian and historian of science.
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Also known as: Whewell, William
Random William Whewell quote
66 quotes
And so no force however great can stretch a cord however fine into an horizontal line which is accurately straight.
An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics (1819)
A man really and practically looking onwards to an immortal life, on whatever grounds, exhibits to us the human soul in an enobled attitude.
No force however great can stretch a cord however fine into an horizontal line which is accurately straight.
It is a test of true theories not only to account for but to predict phenomena.
Every failure is a step to success. Every detection of what is false directs us towards what is true: every trial exhausts some tempting form of error. Not only so; but scarcely any attempt is entirely a failure; scarcely any theory, the result of steady thought, is altogether false; no tempting form of Error is without some latent charm derived from Truth.
The use of mathematical study, with which we have to do, is not to produce a school of eminent mathematicians, but to contribute to a Liberal Education of the highest kind.
Of a Liberal Education in General (1850)
Every young Roman of condition was a Roman jurist. And the study of the law, thus made a leading branch of a liberal education, continued so through the middle ages—continues so still.
And so no force, however great,
Can strain a cord, however fine,
Into a horizontal line
That shall be absolutely straight.
New terms and changes of terms, which are not needed in order to express truth, are to be avoided.
If terms are systematically good, they are not to be rejected because they are etymologically inaccurate.
In Deductive Reasoning, we cannot have any truth in the conclusion which is not virtually contained in the premises.
We cannot observe external things without some degree of Thought; nor can we reflect upon our Thoughts, without being influenced in the course of our reflection by the Things which we have observed.
The Elements of Morality (1845)
In framing scientific terms, the appropriation of old words is preferable to the invention of new ones.
The Sensations are the 'Objective', the Ideas the 'Subjective' part of every act of perception or knowledge.
When common words are appropriated as technical terms, their meaning may be modified, and must be rigorously fixed.
Terms which imply theoretical views are admissible, as far as the theory is proved.
When common words are appropriated as technical terms, this must be done so that they are not ambiguous in their application.
It is better to form new words as technical terms, than to employ old ones in which the last three Aphorisms cannot be complied with.
'When two equal weights are supported on the middle point between them, the pressure on the fulcrum is equal to the sum of the weights.'
In forming a Terminology, words may be invented when necessary, but they cannot be conveniently borrowed from casual or arbitrary circumstances.