33 Quotes & Sayings By Thomas Huxley

Thomas Huxley was born on March 26, 1809. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of London and began working with Darwin on his theory of evolution. In 1837 he published his first major work, "On the Hypothesis that Animals are Endowed with Sensitive Souls," in which he argued that animals have souls and feelings. Thomas Huxley died on August 8, 1895 Read more

1
Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do when it ought to be done whether you like it or not it is the first lesson that ought to be learned and however early a man's training begins it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly. Thomas Huxley
2
If a little knowledge is dangerous - where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger? Thomas Huxley
3
Sit down before fact as a little child be prepared to give up every preconceived notion follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss nature leads or you shall learn nothing. Thomas Huxley
4
Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority. Thomas Huxley
5
Of moral purpose I see no trace in Nature. That is an article of exclusively human manufacture - and very much to our credit. Thomas Huxley
6
If some great power would agree to make me always think what is true and do what is right on condition of being some sort of clock and wound up every morning before I got out of bed I should close instantly with the offer. Thomas Huxley
7
The chess-board is the world the pieces are the phenomena of the universe the rules of the game are what we call the Laws of Nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us. We know that his play is always fair just and patient. But also we know to our cost that he never overlooks a mistake or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance. Thomas Huxley
8
The great tragedy of Science: the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact. Thomas Huxley
9
Tolerably early in life I discovered that one of the unpardonable sins in the eyes of most people is for a man to go about unlabeled. The world regards such a person as the police do an unmuzzled dog. Thomas Huxley
10
My business is to teach my aspirations to confirm themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonize with my aspirations. Thomas Huxley
11
Patience and tenacity are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness. Thomas Huxley
12
The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher. Thomas Huxley
13
Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic. Thomas Huxley
14
Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed. Thomas Huxley
15
The great tragedy of science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact. Thomas Huxley
16
Science is organized common sense where many a beautiful theory was killed by an ugly fact. Thomas Huxley
17
Science reckons many prophets, but there is not even a promise of a Messiah. Thomas Huxley
18
Freedom and order are not incompatible... truth is strength... free discussion is the very life of truth. Thomas Huxley
19
Proclaim human equality as loudly as you like, Witless will serve his brother. Thomas Huxley
20
The great thing in the world is not so much to seek happiness as to earn peace and self-respect. Thomas Huxley
21
I take it that the good of mankind means the attainment, by every man, of all the happiness which he can enjoy without diminishing the happiness of his fellow men. Thomas Huxley
22
Time, whose tooth gnaws away everything else, is powerless against truth. Thomas Huxley
23
If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger? Thomas Huxley
24
The improver of natural knowledge absolutely refuses to acknowledge authority, as such. For him, skepticism is the highest of duties; blind faith the one unpardonable sin. Thomas Huxley
25
Learn what is true in order to do what is right. Thomas Huxley
26
The scientific imagination always restrains itself within the limits of probability. Thomas Huxley
27
It is one of the most saddening things in life that, try as we may, we can never be certain of making people happy, whereas we can almost always be certain of making them unhappy. Thomas Huxley
28
Economy does not lie in sparing money, but in spending it wisely. Thomas Huxley
29
The only medicine for suffering, crime, and all other woes of mankind, is wisdom. Teach a man to read and write, and you have put into his hands the great keys of the wisdom box. But it is quite another thing to open the box. Thomas Huxley
30
It is not who is right, but what is right, that is of importance. Thomas Huxley
31
In science, as in art, and, as I believe, in every other sphere of human activity, there may be wisdom in a multitude of counsellors, but it is only in one or two of them. Thomas Huxley
32
No slavery can be abolished without a double emancipation, and the master will benefit by freedom more than the freed-man. Thomas Huxley