Magic words and incantations are as fatal to our science as they are to any other. Methods, when classified and separated, acquire their true bearing and perspective as a means to an end, not as ends in themselves. We seek to find peace of mind in the word, the formula, the ritual. The hope is an illusion." - Meaning and context.">
QuotesCosmos
Pages 66 – 67
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Magic words and incantations are as fatal to our science as they are to any other. Methods, when classified and separated, acquire their true bearing and perspective as a means to an end, not as ends in themselves. We seek to find peace of mind in the word, the formula, the ritual. The hope is an illusion.

— Benjamin N. Cardozo

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Magic words and incantations are as fatal to our science as they are to any other. Methods, when classified and separated, acquire their true bearing and perspective as a means to an end, not as ends in themselves. We seek to find peace of mind in the word, the formula, the ritual. The hope is an illusion." in the context of "Pages 66 – 67" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Benjamin N. Cardozo" (Quotes, Other writings, The Growth of the Law (1924)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

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#Benjamin N. Cardozo#incantations#perspective#classified#themselves#separated#illusion#science#methods#acquire#bearing#formula
Benjamin N. Cardozo

About Benjamin N. Cardozo

Benjamin Nathan Cardozo (24 May 1870 – 9 July 1938) was a long-time Justice of the Court of Appeals of New York, where his opinions included many declarations that would become famous in legal circles; he was appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1932.