“ If science is to be advanced, all difficulties must be laid open, and we must even search for those that are hidden, for every difficulty calls forth a remedy, which cannot be discovered without science gaining either in extent or in exactness; and thus even obstacles become means of increasing the thoroughness of science. ”
Immanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason (1788). copy citation
| Author | Immanuel Kant |
|---|---|
| Source | Critique of Practical Reason |
| Topic | difficulty science |
| Date | 1788 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Translated by Thomas Kingsmill Abbott |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5683/pg5683-images.html |
Context
“Rather might we say that the dogmatic teachers of metaphysics have shown more shrewdness than candour in keeping this difficult point out of sight as much as possible, in the hope that if they said nothing about it, probably no one would think of it. If science is to be advanced, all difficulties must be laid open, and we must even search for those that are hidden, for every difficulty calls forth a remedy, which cannot be discovered without science gaining either in extent or in exactness; and thus even obstacles become means of increasing the thoroughness of science. On the other hand, if the difficulties are intentionally concealed, or merely removed by palliatives, then sooner or later they burst out into incurable mischiefs, which bring science to ruin in an absolute scepticism.”
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