“There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance.”
- c. 460 BC – c. 370 BC
- Greek
- Physician, “Father of Medicine”
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Quote
“There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance.”
Explanation
This quote, though widely attributed to Hippocrates, lacks verifiable evidence from any of his extant writings, such as the Hippocratic Corpus. It more closely reflects Enlightenment-era rationalism than the nuanced, empirical observations found in classical Greek medicine. Because of the absence of reliable sourcing, it is unlikely that Hippocrates himself actually said or wrote this phrase in this form.
Hippocrates, often called the “Father of Medicine”, did advocate for a shift from superstition to observation and reasoning in medical practice. However, his style was empirical rather than philosophically dualistic, focusing on balance and humoral theory rather than a stark dichotomy between science and opinion. The quote’s sharp contrast between science and opinion is anachronistic and projects a modern framework onto ancient thought.
Therefore, since the quote cannot be confidently attributed to Hippocrates and does not align with the historical record of his philosophy or language, no explanation of its meaning as a Hippocratic quote can be justified. Its widespread circulation today should be seen as an example of how modern ideals are sometimes projected onto historical figures.
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