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Now and then philosophers invade the field of biological sciences with these beguiling generalizations, which tend to be unproductive, purely verbal solutions lacking in substance. At best, they may prove useful when viewed simply as working hypotheses.

— Santiago Ramón y Cajal Advice for a Young Investigator (1897)

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More quotes by Santiago Ramón y Cajal

Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain ( p. xv).

Advice for a Young Investigator (1897)

In summary, there are no small problems. Problems that appear small are large problems that are not understood (p. 17).

Advice for a Young Investigator (1897)

Instead of elaborating on accepted principles, let us simply point out that for the last hundred years the natural sciences have abandoned completely the Aristotelian principles of intuition, inspiration, and dogmatism.

Advice for a Young Investigator (1897)

It is important to note that the most brilliant discoveries have not relied on a formal knowledge of logic. Instead, their discoverers have had an acute inner logic that generates ideas with the same unstudied unconsciousness that allowed Jourdain to create prose.

Advice for a Young Investigator (1897)

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