Skip to content
Shawords

Quote#Nature

To ascend to the origin of things and speculate on the creation, is…

Quote byJohn Frederick William Herschel · 1792–1871

Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: A Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy (1831).

English (original)

To ascend to the origin of things and speculate on the creation, is not the business of the natural philosopher. An humbler field is sufficient for him in the endeavor to discover, as far as our faculties will permit; what are these primary qualities impressed on matter, and to discover the spirit of the laws of nature

— John Frederick William Herschel

More from John Frederick William Herschel