Qualities I Sought In A Scientific Theory

Man, Surrounded By Facts, Permitting Himself No Surprise, No Intuitive Flash, No Great Hypothesis, No Risk, Is In A Locked Cell. Ignorance Cannot Seal The Mind And Imagination More Securely.

The Intuitive Mind Is A Sacred Gift And The Rational Mind Is A Faithful Servant. We Have Created A Society That Honors The Servant And Has Forgotten The Gift.

Imagination Without Knowledge May Create Beautiful Things, Knowledge Without Imagination Can Create Only Perfect Ones.

I Cannot Imagine A God Who Rewards And Punishes The Objects Of His Creation, Whose Purposes Are Modeled After Our Own -- A God, In Short, Who Is But A Reflection Of Human Frailty. Neither Can I Believe That The Individual Survives The Death Of His Body, Although Feeble Souls Harbor Such Thoughts Through Fear Or Ridiculous Egotisms.

This Subject Brings Me To That Vilest Offspring Of The Herd Mind -- The Odious Militia. The Man Who Enjoys Marching In Line And File To The Strains Of Music Falls Below My Contempt; He Received His Great Brain By Mistake -- The Spinal Cord Would Have Been Amply Sufficient. This Heroism At Command, This Senseless Violence, This Accursed Bombast Of Patriotism -- How Intensely I Despise Them! War Is Low And Despicable, And I Had Rather Be Smitten To Shreds Than Participate In Such Doings.