Robert Boyle Quotes on Nature
Robert Boyle was an Anglo-Irish natural philosopher, chemist, and theologian and one of the founders of the Royal Society. This page collects quotes attributed to Robert Boyle on the topic of nature, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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Attributed to Robert Boyle:
“Nature is the work of God; the natural philosopher is its priest.”
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Attributed to Robert Boyle:
“The world is a great piece of clockwork.”
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Attributed to Robert Boyle:
“All natural things are made by God for the contemplation of intelligent beings.”
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“Those hypotheses do not a little hinder the progress of Humane knowledge, that introduce Morals and Politicks into the Explications of Corporeal Nature, where all things are indeed transacted according to Laws Mechanical.”
Reflections upon the Hypothesis of Alcali and Acidum (1675) p. 33. -
“The phaenomena afforded by trades, are a part of the history of nature, and therefore may both challenge the naturalist's curiosity and add to his knowledge, Nor will it suffice to justify learned men in the neglect and contempt of this part of natural history, that the men, from whom it must be learned, are illiterate mechanicks... is indeed childish, and too unworthy of a philosopher, to be worthy of an honest answer.”
That the Goods of Mankind May be Much Increased by the Naturalist's Insight into Trades" in the Works of Robert Boyle , (1772) Vol.3 as quoted in Clifford D. Conner , A People's History of Science (2005) Note: Compare Francis Bacon's The Great Instauration -
“For it very rarely otherwise happens, than that theories, that are grounded but upon few and obvious experiments, are subject to be contradicted by some such instances, as more free and diligent inquiries into what of nature is more abstruse, or even into the less obvious qualities of things, are wont to bring to light.”
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