Roger Bacon

“It is easier for a man to burn down his own house than to get rid of his prejudices.”

“Neglect of mathematics work injury to all knowledge, since he who is ignorant of it cannot know the other sciences or things of this world. And what is worst, those who are thus ignorant are unable to perceive their own ignorance, and so do not seek a remedy.”

“אם כי אדם שמעולם לא ראה להבה יכול לטעון כי האש בוערת, הוא אינו נזהר ממנה כל עוד לא שם את ידו בתוכה. כך הוא לומד באמצעות התנסות את אשר ידע לפני כן באמצעות טיעון.”

“ניתן להגיע למסקנות באמצעות ההיגיון, אך לא ניתן לוודא אותן אלא אם כן מוחנו מגלה אותן באמצעות ההתנסות.”

“המדע הניסיוני הוא מלכם של כל המדעים.”

“הטיעון החזק ביותר אינו אומר דבר, אלא אם כן ניתן לאמתו באמצעות הניסיון.”

“העובדות משכנעות אך אינן מסירות את הספקות, כי אין בכוחנו לדעת דבר בוודאות אלא באמצעות ההתנסות.”

“לא ניתן להבין את הדברים שבעולם הזה ללא ידע במתמטיקה.”

“המתמטיקה כמעט טבועה באדם.”

“כל מדע דורש ידע במתמטיקה.”

“For the things of this world cannot be made known without a knowledge of mathematics.”

“Reasoning draws a conclusion, but does not make the conclusion certain, unless the mind discovers it by the path of experience.”

“All science requires mathematics. The knowledge of mathematical things is almost innate in us. This is the easiest of sciences, a fact which is obvious in that no one's brain rejects it; for laymen and people who are utterly illiterate know how to count and reckon.”

“The strongest arguments prove nothing so long as the conclusions are not verified by experience. Experimental science is the queen of sciences and the goal of all speculation.”

“The conquest of learning is achieved through the knowledge of languages.”

“For if any man who never saw fire proved by satisfactory arguments that fire burns. His hearer's mind would never be satisfied, nor would he avoid the fire until he put his hand in it that he might learn by experiment what argument taught.”

“Argument is conclusive, but it does not remove doubt, so that the mind may rest in the sure knowledge of the truth, unless it finds it by the method of experiment.”

“Now there are four chief obstacles in grasping truth, which hinder every man, however learned, and scarcely allow anyone to win a clear title to learning, namely, submission to faulty and unworthy authority, influence of custom, popular prejudice, and concealment of our own ignorance accompanied by an ostentatious display of our knowledge.”