“Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance.”
- c. 460 BC – c. 370 BC
- Greek
- Physician, “Father of Medicine”
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Quote
“Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance.”
Explanation
This quote is frequently attributed to Hippocrates, but it does not appear in any verified texts of the Hippocratic Corpus. Its structure and tone are more reflective of Enlightenment or modern rationalist thought, particularly the sharp contrast between objective knowledge and subjective belief. While Hippocrates did emphasize empirical observation and natural causes for disease, this exact dichotomy between science and opinion is anachronistic when attributed to a 5th-century BCE thinker.
In Hippocratic medicine, there was indeed a push to move away from supernatural explanations and toward naturalistic observation, which laid the groundwork for later scientific approaches. However, ancient Greek thought did not strictly oppose “opinion” in the same way later philosophy did. Rather, it valued experience, reason, and balance, and often incorporated elements of tradition, observation, and theory in medical practice.
Thus, while the intent of the quote aligns with the broader Hippocratic ideal of relying on observation over superstition, the language and conceptual clarity reflect a much later intellectual context. Because of this, the quote cannot be reliably attributed to Hippocrates, and no detailed explanation can be given as a Hippocratic statement. It should be understood as a modern formulation inspired by—but not spoken by—the ancient physician.
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