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Michael Polanyi Quotes

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About Michael Polanyi

Michael Polanyi (March 15, 1891 – February 7, 1976) was a Hungarian-British philosopher of science, chemical chemist, social scientist, and religious thinker, known for his interdisciplinary work in philosophy, science, and economics. Polanyi was born in Budapest, Hungary, to a Jewish family with a strong intellectual tradition. His father was Mihály Polányi, a physician, and his mother was Anna (Blau) Polányi, a novelist. Growing up in an environment that encouraged curiosity and exploration, he developed a keen interest in science and philosophy from a young age. After studying chemistry at the University of Budapest, Polanyi moved to Manchester, England, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1915. His career as a chemist led him to work on the structure of coal and the behavior of colloids, but it was his philosophical insights about science that would make him most renowned. In 1946, Polanyi published "Science, Faith, and Society," a book that explored the relationship between science, religion, and society. This work, along with "Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy" (1958), became cornerstones of his philosophical thought. Polanyi's philosophy revolved around the concept of tacit knowledge, which he defined as knowledge that is not explicitly articulated or codified but is instead implicitly understood and embodied in practice. He argued that this kind of knowledge, which underpins all human activity, is essential to scientific discovery and technological innovation. Polanyi's work has had a profound impact on various fields, including philosophy of science, economics (especially as a founder of the Austrian school of economics), and sociology. His ideas continue to influence contemporary debates about knowledge, expertise, and the role of science in society.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"We know more than we can tell."

This quote by Michael Polanyi emphasizes that human knowledge often surpasses our ability to express or articulate it explicitly. Our understanding goes beyond what we can put into words, encompassing tacit, intuitive, or experiential knowledge that is difficult to convey directly. It underscores the idea that there are inherent limits to how much and how easily we can communicate complex, implicit ideas.

"The scientific habit of mind is not a collection of techniques but rather a bent of mind, a kind of permanent education of the imagination."

This quote by Michael Polanyi emphasizes that the essence of science is not merely a set of technical skills or procedures, but a fundamental way of thinking, an enduring attitude towards knowledge and inquiry. He suggests that cultivating this "scientific habit of mind" continuously educates and stimulates our imagination, shaping how we approach problems, seek evidence, and interpret results. It's about developing a critical, curious, and open-minded perspective on the world, which is at the heart of scientific endeavor.

"What can be defined can be learned."

Michael Polanyi's quote, "What can be defined can be learned," emphasizes the importance of clear definition in the process of acquiring knowledge or skills. This suggests that for something to be effectively taught or learned, it must first be clearly understood, defined, and agreed upon by both the teacher and learner. By defining a concept, we establish its boundaries and provide a foundation from which further understanding can grow. Consequently, learning becomes more efficient and effective when definitions are precise and well-established.

"Knowledge imposes a system on the raw data that are given to sense perception."

Michael Polanyi's quote suggests that our understanding of the world is not a simple reflection of raw, sensory data we receive from it; instead, we actively organize and interpret those data through the lens of knowledge, experience, and preconceived ideas (the "system" he refers to). This implies that our perceptions are shaped by what we know, or believe we know, about the world. This idea has profound implications for how we approach scientific inquiry and personal understanding alike.

"We live within a web of significant relationships, and to apprehend the structure of this web is to grasp the substance of an experience."

This quote by Michael Polanyi suggests that our understanding of life and experiences stems from recognizing and comprehending the interconnected network of meaningful relationships that surround us. The "web of significant relationships" encompasses everything in our lives, from people to ideas, events, and objects, and grasping this intricate web provides insight into our personal experiences and the world at large.

These maxims and the art of interpreting them may be said to constitute the premisses of science but I prefer to call them our scientific beliefs. These premisses or beliefs are embodied in a tradition, the tradition of science.

- Michael Polanyi

Art, May, Interpreting, Maxims

No inanimate object is ever fully determined by the laws of physics and chemistry.

- Michael Polanyi

Chemistry, Laws, Ever, Inanimate

Admittedly, scientific authority is not distributed evenly throughout the body of scientists; some distinguished members of the profession predominate over others of a more junior standing.

- Michael Polanyi

Some, Over, Profession, Distributed

We could not, for example, arrive at a principle like that of entropy without introducing some additional principle, such as randomness, to this topography.

- Michael Polanyi

Some, Like, Principle, Topography

But even physics cannot be defined from an atomic topography.

- Michael Polanyi

Physics, Even, Atomic, Topography

I shall suggest, on the contrary, that all communication relies, to a noticeable extent on evoking knowledge that we cannot tell, and that all our knowledge of mental processes, like feelings or conscious intellectual activities, is based on a knowledge which we cannot tell.

- Michael Polanyi

Extent, Mental Processes, Noticeable

Human beings exercise responsibilities within a social setting and a framework of obligations which transcend the principle of intelligence.

- Michael Polanyi

Within, Principle, Which, Transcend

I hold that the propositions embodied in natural science are not derived by any definite rule from the data of experience, and that they can neither be verified nor falsified by experience according to any definite rule.

- Michael Polanyi

Natural, Natural Science, Verified

Moreover, only a strong and united scientific opinion imposing the intrinsic value of scientific progress on society at large can elicit the support of scientific inquiry by the general public.

- Michael Polanyi

Strong, Imposing, Large, Intrinsic

The process of philosophic and scientific enlightenment has shaken the stability of beliefs held explicitly as articles of faith.

- Michael Polanyi

Process, Explicitly, Stability

But the system of prices ruling the market not only transmits information in the light of which economic agents can mutually adjust their actions, it also provides them with an incentive to exercise economy in terms of money.

- Michael Polanyi

Exercise, Which, Mutually, Agents

The first thing to make clear is that scientists, freely making their own choice of problems and pursuing them in the light of their own personal judgment, are in fact co-operating as members of a closely knit organization.

- Michael Polanyi

Fact, Own, Pursuing, Freely

Admittedly, the body of scientists, as a whole, does uphold the authority of science over the lay public. It controls thereby also the process by which young men are trained to become members of the scientific profession.

- Michael Polanyi

Young, Controls, Trained, Young Men

My title is intended to suggest that the community of scientists is organized in a way which resembles certain features of a body politic and works according to economic principles similar to those by which the production of material goods is regulated.

- Michael Polanyi

Similar, Which, Works, Politic

So long as we use a certain language, all questions that we can ask will have to be formulated in it and will thereby confirm the theory of the universe which is implied in the vocabulary and structure of the language.

- Michael Polanyi

Will, Implied, Which, Structure

And the actual achievements of biology are explanations in terms of mechanisms founded on physics and chemistry, which is not the same thing as explanations in terms of physics and chemistry.

- Michael Polanyi

Chemistry, Which, Actual, Physics

Theories of evolution must provide for the creative acts which brought such theories into existence.

- Michael Polanyi

Provide, Which, Brought, Evolution

Of course language manifests a belief only if we use its words with the implied acceptance of their appositeness.

- Michael Polanyi

Only, Implied, Use, Acceptance

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