William Kingdon Clifford Quotes

Powerful William Kingdon Clifford for Daily Growth

About William Kingdon Clifford

William Kingdon Clifford (1845-1879) was a British mathematician, philosopher, and army officer who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, engineering, and philosophy during his brief yet impactful lifetime. Born on January 2, 1845, in Exeter, England, Clifford grew up in an intellectual family that instilled in him a love for learning from an early age. He attended University College London (UCL) where he studied mathematics under Augustus De Morgan and James Cockle. Clifford's academic career was marked by numerous accomplishments. In the realm of mathematics, he made significant contributions to geometry, vector analysis, and differential equations. One of his most notable works is "Memoir on the Arithmetic of the Square Roots of Negative Numbers" (1873), which introduced complex numbers into geometrical space, later named Clifford algebra in his honor. In philosophy, Cliffard's major work was "Paradoxes of Anticipation" (1877), where he explored the concept of causality and time travel using paradoxes such as the famous "Clifford's Paradox." He also wrote "The Ethics of Belief," which argues that it is wrong to believe anything without adequate evidence. Clifford's life was not without tragedy. He served in the Royal Engineers during the Abyssinian War, where he contracted malaria, which plagued him for the rest of his life. In 1879, at the age of 34, Clifford died while leading an expedition to the volcanic island of Santorini, Greece. Despite his short life, William Kingdon Clifford's work and ideas continue to influence both mathematics and philosophy today. His profound thoughts on belief, ethics, and the nature of reality leave a lasting legacy that resonates with scholars and thinkers worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"It is not the function of science to tell us what to do."

The quote by William Kingdon Clifford highlights the distinction between the realm of scientific discovery and the domain of moral, ethical, or practical decision-making. In essence, science provides knowledge about the world but does not dictate how that information should be applied or what actions should be taken. It is up to individuals and societies to weigh the implications of scientific findings and make informed decisions based on their values and goals.

"Duty is as absolute in its claims as law of nature, and equally paramount."

This quote by William Kingdon Clifford emphasizes that moral duties are as unyielding and universal as the laws of nature. Just as natural laws apply universally, irrespective of one's beliefs or feelings, moral duties also carry absolute claims on our actions. Regardless of personal preferences or circumstances, we have an obligation to uphold these moral principles as they govern our ethical conduct and guide us towards being responsible members of society.

"A person's real progress in life can be measured by the number and variety of things he or she undertakes, rather than by the number of them he or she eventually completes."

This quote by William Kingdon Clifford suggests that personal growth and success are not solely determined by the number of tasks one completes, but more importantly, by the breadth and diversity of experiences one undertakes. It encourages individuals to embrace new challenges and opportunities, as these experiences foster learning, personal development, and a richer life. The implication is that completing tasks, while important, should not be the primary focus or measure of an individual's progress, but rather the journey and experiences gained along the way.

"It is always better to have a rule that you cannot help breaking than to be ruled by someone else's whim."

This quote emphasizes personal autonomy and self-governance, suggesting that it is preferable for individuals to make their own rules, even if they can't always follow them, rather than being subjected to the arbitrary decisions of others. The message conveyed is one of empowerment, encouraging individuals to take responsibility for themselves and their actions while respecting their inherent freedom and self-determination.

"The one thing in life that we can control is our own attitude."

This quote emphasizes the importance of personal attitude as a controllable factor in life. It suggests that despite uncontrollable circumstances, individuals have the power to choose their responses, which significantly impacts their experiences. A positive or resilient attitude can help navigate through challenges more effectively, while a negative attitude may hinder progress and happiness. Ultimately, it is an encouragement for people to focus on maintaining a constructive and optimistic mindset in order to make the most of life's opportunities.

To consider only one other such witness: the followers of the Buddha have at least as much right to appeal to individual and social experience in support of the authority of the Eastern saviour.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Other, Individual, Eastern, Saviour

The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Lose, Sink, Though, Wrong Things

He who truly believes that which prompts him to an action has looked upon the action to lust after it, he has committed it already in his heart.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Committed, Which, Looked, Lust

Our lives our guided by that general conception of the course of things which has been created by society for social purposes.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Been, Which, Lives, Guided

No simplicity of mind, no obscurity of station, can escape the universal duty of questioning all that we believe.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Mind, Questioning, Station, Obscurity

We may always depend on it that algebra, which cannot be translated into good English and sound common sense, is bad algebra.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Always, May, Which, Common Sense

In like manner, if I let myself believe anything on insufficient evidence, there may be no great harm done by the mere belief; it may be true after all, or I may never have occasion to exhibit it in outward acts.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Occasion, Evidence, May, Outward

When an action is once done, it is right or wrong for ever; no accidental failure of its good or evil fruits can possibly alter that.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Good, Right, Done, Possibly

If a belief is not realized immediately in open deeds, it is stored up for the guidance of the future.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Future, Deeds, Guidance, Stored

The rule which should guide us in such cases is simple and obvious enough: that the aggregate testimony of our neighbours is subject to the same conditions as the testimony of any one of them.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Which, Cases, Subject, Testimony

An atmosphere of beliefs and conceptions has been formed by the labours and struggles of our forefathers, which enables us to breathe amid the various and complex circumstances of our life.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Been, Atmosphere, Which, Formed

The harm which is done by credulity in a man is not confined to the fostering of a credulous character in others, and consequent support of false beliefs.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Which, Fostering, Confined, Credulity

Every rustic who delivers in the village alehouse his slow, infrequent sentences, may help to kill or keep alive the fatal superstitions which clog his race.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Alive, May, Which, Superstitions

A little reflection will show us that every belief, even the simplest and most fundamental, goes beyond experience when regarded as a guide to our actions.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Reflection, Will, Simplest, Guide

Namely, we have no right to believe a thing true because everybody says so unless there are good grounds for believing that some one person at least has the means of knowing what is true, and is speaking the truth so far as he knows it.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Some, Everybody, Least, Grounds

To sum up: it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Always, Evidence, Everywhere, Insufficient

It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Always, Evidence, Everywhere, Insufficient

Into this, for good or ill, is woven every belief of every man who has speech of his fellows. A awful privilege, and an awful responsibility, that we should help to create the world in which posterity will live.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Will, Which, Woven, Fellows

Nor is it that truly a belief at all which has not some influence upon the actions of him who holds it.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Some, Nor, Which, Holds

If I steal money from any person, there may be no harm done from the mere transfer of possession; he may not feel the loss, or it may prevent him from using the money badly. But I cannot help doing this great wrong towards Man, that I make myself dishonest.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Doing, Harm, Badly, Dishonest

There is no scientific discoverer, no poet, no painter, no musician, who will not tell you that he found ready made his discovery or poem or picture - that it came to him from outside, and that he did not consciously create it from within.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Him, Tell, Scientific, Musician

This sense of power is the highest and best of pleasures when the belief on which it is founded is a true belief, and has been fairly earned by investigation.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Been, Which, Fairly, Investigation

We feel much happier and more secure when we think we know precisely what to do, no matter what happens, then when we have lost our way and do not know where to turn.

- William Kingdon Clifford

Think, More, Feel, Precisely

To know all about anything is to know how to deal with it under all circumstances.

- William Kingdon Clifford

How, Deal, About, Circumstances

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