Abraham Kaplan Quotes

We are caught up in a paradox, one which might be called the paradox of conceptualization. The proper concepts are needed to formulate a good theory, but we need a good theory to arrive at the proper concepts.

Abraham Kaplan

• Theory
• Concepts
• Paradox

• Previous
• Next

Quotes to Explore

• In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

  

  Yogi Berra
  • Practice
  • Difference
  • Theory

• We have confirmed something we only knew in theory, namely that revolution, in which uncontrolled and uncontrollable forces operate imperiously, is blind and destructive, grandiose and cruel.

  

  Federica Montseny
  • Revolution
  • Theory
  • Blind

• Even for practical purposes theory generally turns out the most important thing in the end.

  

  Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
  • Important
  • End
  • Theory

• I was pretty lucky to get into Berklee at all. I never really had any theory or music-reading capabilities; I was completely by ear.

  

  Madi Diaz
  • Music
  • Pretty
  • Reading

• All theory is against freedom of the will; all experience for it.

  

  Samuel Johnson
  • Experience
  • Freedom
  • Theory

• He discovered the cruel paradox by which we always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.

  

  Albert Camus
  • Love
  • Advantage
  • Paradox

• The most beautiful fate of a physical theory is to point the way to the establishment of a more inclusive theory, in which it lives on as a limiting case.

  

  Albert Einstein
  • Beautiful
  • Fate
  • Theory

• Then I would have felt sorry for the dear Lord. The theory is correct.

  

  Albert Einstein
  • Lord
  • Theory
  • Correct

• The theory of our modern technic shows that nothing is as practical as theory.

  

  J. Robert Oppenheimer
  • Theory
  • Technic

• We thought about switching every day and creating new lines but then we decided not to, ... The whole idea here was the introduction of some concepts of play. Rather then have them worrying about adjusting to new guys every day, we wanted them to concentrate and focus on trying to absorb the system we want to play.

  

  Pat Quinn
  • Trying
  • Play
  • Focus

• Doing this well requires a deep knowledge of the data mixed with a goodly dose of economic theory and economic judgment, ... Greenspan is, of course, a master.

  

  Ben Bernanke
  • Knowledge
  • Deep
  • Theory

• Ordinary readers, forgive my paradoxes: one must make them when one reflects; and whatever you may say, I prefer being a man with paradoxes than a man with prejudices.

  

  Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • Men
  • May
  • Prejudice

• A totally healthy actor is a paradox.

  

  Vittorio Gassman
  • Actors
  • Healthy
  • Paradox

• Creating a new theory is not like destroying an old barn and erecting a skyscraper in its place. It is rather like climbing a mountain, gaining new and wider views, discovering unexpected connections between our starting points and its rich environment. But the point from which we started out still exists and can be seen, although it appears smaller and forms a tiny part of our broad view gained by the mastery of the obstacles on our adventurous way up.

  

  Albert Einstein
  • Way
  • New
  • Theory

• Unfortunately for the good sense of mankind, the fact of their fallibility is far from carrying the weight in their practical judgement, which is always allowed to it in theory; for while every one well knows himself to be fallible, few think it necessary to take any precautions against their own fallibility.

  

  John Stuart Mill
  • Theory
  • Judgement
  • Fallibility

• At present every coachman and every waiter argues about whether or not the relativity theory is correct.

  

  Albert Einstein
  • Theory
  • Correct
  • Every

• The more success the quantum theory has, the sillier it looks.

  

  Albert Einstein
  • Success
  • Looks
  • Theory

• However we select from nature a complex of phenomena using the criterion of simplicity, in no case will its theoretical treatment turn out to be forever appropriate (sufficient).... I do not doubt that the day will come when general relativity, too, will have to yield to another one, for reasons which at present we do not yet surmise. I believe that this process of deepening theory has no limits.

  

  Albert Einstein
  • Process
  • Theory
  • Phenomena

• God runs electromagnetics by wave theory on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the Devil runs them by quantum theory on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

  

  William Lawrence Bragg
  • Running
  • Theory
  • Quantum

• There's an entry point to any relationship.

  

  will.i.am
  • Entry

• Christianity might be a good thing if anyone ever tried it.

  

  George Bernard Shaw
  • Good
  • Christianity
  • Tried

• We're all told that people are busy, and have short attention spans, and yet these stories are so marvelous, and really ought to be read.

  

  Harold Evans
  • People
  • Attention
  • Busy

• We are caught up in a paradox, one which might be called the paradox of conceptualization. The proper concepts are needed to formulate a good theory, but we need a good theory to arrive at the proper concepts.

  

  Abraham Kaplan
  • Theory
  • Concepts
  • Paradox