Thomas Huxley Quotes
Most popular Thomas Huxley Quotes
![Science is simply common sense at its best. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/33/53033A-science-is-simply-common-sense-at-its-best-thomas-huxley.png)
Science is simply common sense at its best.
![Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/62/362A-science-commits-suicide-when-it-adopts-creed-thomas-huxley.png)
Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed.
![The great end of life is not knowledge but action. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/19/7419A-the-great-end-of-life-is-not-knowledge-but-action-thomas-huxley.png)
The great end of life is not knowledge but action.
![The birth of science was the death of superstition. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/61/361A-the-birth-of-science-was-the-death-superstition-thomas-huxley.png)
The birth of science was the death of superstition.
![Living things have no inertia, and tend to no equilibrium. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/17/217A-living-things-have-no-inertia-and-tend-no-equilibrium-thomas-huxley.png)
Living things have no inertia, and tend to no equilibrium.
![Size is not grandeur, and territory does not make a nation. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/27/8827A-size-is-not-grandeur-and-territory-does-not-make-nation-thomas-huxley.png)
Size is not grandeur, and territory does not make a nation.
![Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/49/249A-irrationally-held-truths-may-be-more-harmful-than-reasoned-errors-thomas-huxley.png)
Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.
![Science and literature are not two things, but two sides of one thing. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/63/39263A-science-and-literature-are-not-two-things-but-two-sides-thomas-huxley.png)
Science and literature are not two things, but two sides of one thing.
![Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/27/43027A-try-to-learn-something-about-everything-everything-about-something-thomas-huxley.png)
Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.
![Time, whose tooth gnaws away everything else, is powerless against truth. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/09/53509A-time-whose-tooth-gnaws-away-everything-else-is-powerless-against-thomas-huxley.png)
Time, whose tooth gnaws away everything else, is powerless against truth.
![Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/13/4813A-logical-consequences-are-the-scarecrows-of-fools-beacons-wise-men-thomas-huxley.png)
Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men.
![There is the greatest practical benefit in making a few failures early in life. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/17/30717A-there-is-the-greatest-practical-benefit-making-few-failures-early-thomas-huxley.png)
There is the greatest practical benefit in making a few failures early in life.
![In scientific work, those who refuse to go beyond fact rarely get as far as fact. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/19/10619A-in-scientific-work-those-who-refuse-go-beyond-fact-rarely-thomas-huxley.png)
In scientific work, those who refuse to go beyond fact rarely get as far as fact.
![The great tragedy of Science — the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/68/24168A-the-great-tragedy-of-science-the-slaying-beautiful-hypothesis-by-thomas-huxley.png)
The great tragedy of Science — the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.
![The great tragedy of science is the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/18/10618A-the-great-tragedy-of-science-is-slaying-beautiful-hypothesis-by-thomas-huxley.png)
The great tragedy of science is the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.
![Patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/24/37124A-patience-and-tenacity-of-purpose-are-worth-more-than-twice-thomas-huxley.png)
Patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.
![It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/90/390A-it-is-the-customary-fate-of-new-truths-begin-as-thomas-huxley.png)
It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions.
![If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger? - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/27/4527A-if-a-little-knowledge-is-dangerous-where-is-man-who-thomas-huxley.png)
If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger?
![There is no greater mistake than the hasty conclusion that opinions are worthless because they are badly argued. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/94/794A-there-is-no-greater-mistake-than-hasty-conclusion-that-opinions-thomas-huxley.png)
There is no greater mistake than the hasty conclusion that opinions are worthless because they are badly argued.
![Extinguished theologians lie about the cradle of every science, as the strangled snakes besides that of Hercules. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/60/360A-extinguished-theologians-lie-about-the-cradle-every-science-as-strangled-thomas-huxley.png)
Extinguished theologians lie about the cradle of every science, as the strangled snakes besides that of Hercules.
![Truly is has been said, that to a clear eye the smallest fact is a window through which the Infinite may be seen. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/69/30669A-truly-is-has-been-said-that-clear-eye-smallest-fact-thomas-huxley.png)
Truly is has been said, that to a clear eye the smallest fact is a window through which the Infinite may be seen.
![If individuality has no play, society does not advance; if individuality breaks out of all bounds, society perishes. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/70/33570A-if-individuality-has-no-play-society-does-not-advance-if-thomas-huxley.png)
If individuality has no play, society does not advance; if individuality breaks out of all bounds, society perishes.
![History warns us, however, that it is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/78/41378A-history-warns-us-however-that-it-is-customary-fate-new-thomas-huxley.png)
History warns us, however, that it is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions.
![The chessboard is the world; the pieces are the phenomena of the universe; the rules of the game are what we call laws of nature. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/88/3888A-the-chessboard-is-the-world-the-pieces-are-phenomena-universe-thomas-huxley.png)
The chessboard is the world; the pieces are the phenomena of the universe; the rules of the game are what we call laws of nature.
![For every man the world is as fresh as it was at the first day, and as full of untold novelties for he who has the eyes to see them. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/92/6292A-for-every-man-the-world-is-as-fresh-as-it-thomas-huxley.png)
For every man the world is as fresh as it was at the first day, and as full of untold novelties for he who has the eyes to see them.
![In science, as in life, learning and knowledge are distinct, and the study of things, and not of books, is the source of the latter. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/48/348A-in-science-as-in-life-learning-knowledge-are-distinct-study-thomas-huxley.png)
In science, as in life, learning and knowledge are distinct, and the study of things, and not of books, is the source of the latter.
![Of the few innocent pleasures left to men past middle life, the jamming of common sense down the throats of fools is perhaps the keenest. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/84/14384A-of-the-few-innocent-pleasures-left-men-past-middle-life-thomas-huxley.png)
Of the few innocent pleasures left to men past middle life, the jamming of common sense down the throats of fools is perhaps the keenest.
![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 quote.](/img/q/71/34271A-the-rung-of-a-ladder-was-never-meant-rest-upon-thomas-huxley.png)
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.
![But the great tragedy of Science—the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact—which is so constantly being enacted under the eyes of philosophers... - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/89/52989A-but-the-great-tragedy-of-science-slaying-beautiful-hypothesis-by-thomas-huxley.png)
But the great tragedy of Science—the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact—which is so constantly being enacted under the eyes of philosophers...
![It is wrong for a man to say that he is certain of the objective truth of any proposition unless he can produce evidence which logically justifies that certainty. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/90/27790A-it-is-wrong-for-a-man-say-that-he-is-thomas-huxley.png)
It is wrong for a man to say that he is certain of the objective truth of any proposition unless he can produce evidence which logically justifies that certainty.
![The medieval university looked backwards; it professed to be a storehouse of old knowledge. The modern university looks forward, and is a factory of new knowledge. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/29/41529A-the-medieval-university-looked-backwards-it-professed-be-storehouse-old-thomas-huxley.png)
The medieval university looked backwards; it professed to be a storehouse of old knowledge. The modern university looks forward, and is a factory of new knowledge.
![The improver of natural science absolutely refuses to acknowledge authority, as such. For him, scepticism is the highest of duties: blind faith the one unpardonable sin. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/48/53048A-the-improver-of-natural-science-absolutely-refuses-acknowledge-authority-as-thomas-huxley.png)
The improver of natural science absolutely refuses to acknowledge authority, as such. For him, scepticism is the highest of duties: blind faith the one unpardonable sin.
![Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/70/30670A-sit-down-before-fact-as-a-little-child-be-prepared-thomas-huxley.png)
Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
![There is no sea more dangerous than the ocean of practical politics—none in which there is more need of good pilotage and of a single, unfaltering purpose when the waves rise again. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/49/37749A-there-is-no-sea-more-dangerous-than-ocean-practical-politics-thomas-huxley.png)
There is no sea more dangerous than the ocean of practical politics—none in which there is more need of good pilotage and of a single, unfaltering purpose when the waves rise again.
![Life is like walking along a crowded street—there always seem to be fewer obstacles to getting along on the opposite pavement—and yet, if one crosses over, matters are rarely mended. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/98/36698A-life-is-like-walking-along-a-crowded-street-there-always-thomas-huxley.png)
Life is like walking along a crowded street—there always seem to be fewer obstacles to getting along on the opposite pavement—and yet, if one crosses over, matters are rarely mended.
![The quarrels of theologians and philosophers have not been about religion, but about philosophy; and philosophers not unfrequently seem to entertain the same feeling toward theologians that sportsmen cherish toward poachers. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/08/37308A-the-quarrels-of-theologians-and-philosophers-have-not-been-about-thomas-huxley.png)
The quarrels of theologians and philosophers have not been about religion, but about philosophy; and philosophers not unfrequently seem to entertain the same feeling toward theologians that sportsmen cherish toward poachers.
![No man is any the worse off because another acquires wealth by trade, or by the exercise of a profession; on the contrary, he cannot have acquired his wealth except by benefiting others to the extent of what they considered to be its value. - Thomas Huxley quote.](/img/q/96/53596A-no-man-is-any-the-worse-off-because-another-acquires-thomas-huxley.png)
No man is any the worse off because another acquires wealth by trade, or by the exercise of a profession; on the contrary, he cannot have acquired his wealth except by benefiting others to the extent of what they considered to be its value.
The great tragedy of Science—the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.
It is the customary fate of new truths, to begin as heresies, and to end as superstitions.