Quotes About Theory

La théorie c'est bon, mais ça n'empêche pas d'exister. »

T]he theory of Empedocles which especially deserves our interest is one which approximates so closely to the psychoanalytic theory of the instincts that we should be tempted to maintain that the two are identical, if it were not for the difference that the Greek philosopher's theory is a cosmic phantasy while ours is content to claim biological validity.

Euclid discovered that perfect numbers are always the multiple of two numbers, one of which is a power of 2 and the other being the next power of 2 minus 1.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data.

Nothing happens without intention, Willem. Nothing. This theory of yours - life is rules by accidents - isn't that just one huge excuse for passivity?

The idea of abstract power only exists for academics, not in real life.

There is nothing more gray, stultifying, or dreary than life lived inside the confines of a theory.

He that would be a master must draw from the life as well as copy from originals, and join theory and experience together.

These inferences are the signature characteristic of something called Theory of Mind. We activate it all the time. We try to see our entire world in terms of motivations, ascribing motivations to our pets and even to inanimate objects. The skill is useful for selecting a mate, for navigating the day-to-day issues surrounding living together, for parenting. Theory of Mind is something humans have like no other creature. It is as close to mind reading as we are likely to get.

De la misma manera, nuestro mundo está lleno de personas que tienen sus propias nociones acerca de Dios y de cómo agradarle. Se ha puesto de moda el tener una teoría elaborada por uno mismo.

I have a theory of statistics: if you can double them or halve them and they still work, they are really good statistics.

A theory however elegant and economical must be rejected or revised if it is untrue

In 1917 there were more than twelve million members of the Russian consumers' Cooperative societies; and the Soviets themselves are a wonderful demonstration of their organising genius. Moreover, there is probably not a people in the world so well educated in Socialist theory and its practical application.

There is a hypothetical maximization of income, constrained by individuals and of cost constrained profits of firms. Keynesean

But then a counter-sect arose, embracing persons who thought they believed in Darwin's novel theory. What they actually believed in was Reformed Darwinism, a religious and social theory combining 'survival of the fittest' with 'Devil take the hindmost'. The important thing was to be a survivor. Take care of your tribe and your territory. Be selfish. God helps those who help themselves.

Not even on the most distorted and contracted theory of good which ever was framed by religious or philosophical fanaticism, can the government of Nature be made to resemble the work of a being at once good and omnipotent.

A few individuals, by extraordinary genius, or by the accidental acquisition of a good set of intellectual habits, may work without principles in the same way, or nearly the same way, in which they would have worked if they had been in possession of principles. But the bulk of mankind require either to understand the theory of what they are doing, or to have rules laid down for them by those who have understood the theory.

The author has endeavored to combat their theory in the manner in which Diogenes confuted the skeptical reasonings against the possibility of motion; remembering that Diogenes's argument would have been equally conclusive, though his individual perambulations might not have extended beyond the circuit of his own tub.

The employment of the word Logic to denote the theory of Argumentation, is derived from the Aristotelian, or, as they are commonly termed, the scholastic, logicians.

Poincaré was a vigorous opponent of the theory that all mathematics can be rewritten in terms of the most elementary notions of classical logic; something more than logic, he believed, makes mathematics what it is.

What's gotten in the way of education in the United States is a theory of social engineering that says there is ONE RIGHT WAY to proceed with growing up.

Everything sold cheaply; this was a state-subsidised store. It was an almost classic demonstration of the theory that all are equal but some are more equal than others;

It could very well be that if a grandfather paradox really gets going and history from the point of the twonky forward starts to come unglued... ...we all softly and suddenly vanish away. Not just you and me, but the Sun, Jupiter, Alpha Centauri and the Andromeda Galaxy. And so forth. This is known as the Cosmic Disgust Theory. Or: "If you're going to play games like that, I'll take my marbles and go home. Signed, God.

The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy...neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.