Andrew Dickson White, A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (1896)
“
We may well remember Darwin's remark on the stimulating effect of mistaken theories, as compared with the sterilizing effect of mistaken observations: mistaken observations lead men astray, mistaken theories suggest true theories.
— Andrew Dickson White on Charles Darwin
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "We may well remember Darwin's remark on the stimulating effect of mistaken theories, as compared with the sterilizing effect of mistaken observations: mistaken observations lead men astray, mistaken theories suggest true theories." in the context of "Andrew Dickson White, A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (1896)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Charles Darwin" (Quotes about Darwin: Alphabetized by author )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White (November 7, 1832 – November 4, 1918) was an American diplomat, author, and educator who was the co-founder and first president of Cornell University.
About Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White (November 7, 1832 – November 4, 1918) was an American diplomat, author, and educator who was the co-founder and first president of Cornell University.
View all quotes →