Imagination is more important than knowledge

[Itoero]

This is another Quote of Einstein.
He wrote it in the book Cosmic Religion and Other Opinions and Aphorisms"(1931).

"At times I feel certain I am right while not knowing the reason. When the eclipse of 1919 confirmed my intuition, I was not in the least surprised. In fact, I would have been astonished had it turned out otherwise. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research."

This is completely my cup of tea!
Knowledge and imagination concern in a sense a duality in science.

What do you think about imagination and knowledge?

Edited June 19, 2017 by Itoero

[KipIngram]

Well, I think there's truth in those words, but caution is in order. On the one hand, you have people like Einstein, whose imagination leads them to things that turn out to be right. Then on the other hand you have people who uncork the most ridiculous things. I don't think Einstein's words should be taken to defend anything that someone coughs up, because some people's imagination leads them thoroughly out into the weeds.

 

I have no doubt that Einstein's imagination tended to stay "in bounds" because he also had knowledge. So I absolutely do not think he was saying "imagination is all that matters." Knowledge is very important too.

To say that a different way, imagination without knowledge doesn't get you there. Knowledge is a necessary pre-requisite, but then having imagination as well makes all the difference in the world to how much you can contribute to new understanding.

[Phi for All]

I think far too many people use imagination, which is as easy as storytelling, guessing, or lying, as a substitute for systematically eliminating their ignorance, which is hard but rewarding work. I also think those who know the inside of "the box" are the best qualified to think outside it.

 

I think imagination can't be more important than knowledge, so I disagree with Einstein. Imagination by itself is guesswork at it's worst. Knowledge alone would do much better, but when you have great knowledge your imagination is expanded, richer, and more nuanced. How can it not be?

[dimreepr]

Knowledge without understanding, seems much worse to me, because imagination is never without knowledge.

Edited June 19, 2017 by dimreepr

[Manticore]

Knowledge without understanding, seems much worse to me, because imagination is never without knowledge.

I can imagine any number of things of which I have no knowledge whatsoever.

[DrKrettin]

I think far too many people use imagination, which is as easy as storytelling, guessing, or lying, as a substitute for systematically eliminating their ignorance, which is hard but rewarding work. I also think those who know the inside of "the box" are the best qualified to think outside it.

 

I think imagination can't be more important than knowledge, so I disagree with Einstein. Imagination by itself is guesswork at it's worst. Knowledge alone would do much better, but when you have great knowledge your imagination is expanded, richer, and more nuanced. How can it not be?

 

I agree - imagination without knowledge is totally valueless. Knowledge without imagination useful, but rather limiting. Obviously a combination of the two, with imagination based on knowledge, is the optimum.

 

People who claim that imagination is of value without knowledge say this because it requires absolutely no effort at all. The knowledge is the hard work.

[dimreepr]

I can imagine any number of things of which I have no knowledge whatsoever.

 

I imagined that post might be misunderstood.

[Manticore]

 

I imagined that post might be misunderstood.

I should maybe have added: 'therefore they are almost certainly totally useless.'

[dimreepr]

Imagination is the way knowledge is converted to understanding; yes it's wrong more often than it's right, but that's the price of wisdom.

[Manticore]

I think you managed to totally misunderstand even with my addendum. I will now imagine a pink unicorn (in latex bondage gear).

[dimreepr]

I think you managed to totally misunderstand even with my addendum. I will now imagine a pink unicorn (in latex bondage gear).

 

Where did you get that imagery, without knowledge?

[Phi for All]

It also makes sense to me that imagination is refined by knowledge. The more you know, the less time you have to spend using your imagination on concepts that aren't viable. You don't have to waste years of your life imagining that we're part of the matrix, or that the Earth is flat, or that you've developed the Theory of Everything without using maths.

[Roger Dynamic Motion]

Well, I think there's truth in those words, but caution is in order. On the one hand, you have people like Einstein, whose imagination leads them to things that turn out to be right. Then on the other hand you have people who uncork the most ridiculous things. I don't think Einstein's words should be taken to defend anything that someone coughs up, because some people's imagination leads them thoroughly out into the weeds.

 

I have no doubt that Einstein's imagination tended to stay "in bounds" because he also had knowledge. So I absolutely do not think he was saying "imagination is all that matters." Knowledge is very important too.

 

To say that a different way, imagination without knowledge doesn't get you there. Knowledge is a necessary pre-requisite, but then having imagination as well makes all the difference in the world to how much you can contribute to new understanding.

One investigates is knowledge thought (imagination) ; then fallow experimentation to incise is Knowledge :

[dimreepr]

It also makes sense to me that imagination is refined by knowledge.

 

Indeed, it's a two way street.

[Phi for All]

Indeed, it's a two way street.

 

I think it's more like a building, with knowledge being the foundation and structure that lets imagination reach farther (taller?). You can imagine the top of the building, but without the knowledge that makes it possible, it won't support you.

[dimreepr]

 

I think it's more like a building, with knowledge being the foundation and structure that lets imagination reach farther (taller?). You can imagine the top of the building, but without the knowledge that makes it possible, it won't support you.

 

But who knows what knowledge is needed to build it?

Edited June 19, 2017 by dimreepr

[DrKrettin]

One investigates is knowledge thought (imagination) ; then fallow experimentation to incise is Knowledge :

 

You could shuffle these words into any order and make more sense than as it stands.

[Roger Dynamic Motion]

You could shuffle these words into any order and make more sense than as it stands.

Explain your quote please ;so every one can evaluate your IQ.

[DrKrettin]

Explain your quote please ;so every one can evaluate your IQ.

 

Well, that is the point - my quotation from you makes no grammatical sense whatsoever. The burden is on you to explain what you meant.

[Roger Dynamic Motion]

Well, that is the point - my quotation from you makes no grammatical sense whatsoever. The burden is on you to explain what you meant.

Well,you should have asked me ; what do you mean ?

[DrKrettin]

Well,you should have asked me ; what do you mean ?

 

OK - what did you mean?

[Roger Dynamic Motion]

OK - what did you mean?

One investigates is knowledge thought (imagination) ; This implies, to use your imagination to verified the veracity of the structure of your though about something .

< then fallow experimentation to incise is Knowledge :

Edited June 19, 2017 by Roger Dynamic Motion

[Strange]

One investigates is knowledge thought (imagination) ; This implies, to use your imagination to verified the veracity of the structure of your though about something .

< then fallow experimentation to incise is Knowledge :

 

 

And that is why there was no point asking what you mean. The "explanation" makes no more sense than the original sentence.

 

Maybe you should try running what you want to say through Google Translate. It might make more sense. (It can't make any less.)

[DrKrettin]

One investigates is knowledge thought (imagination) ; This implies, to use your imagination to verified the veracity of the structure of your though about something .

< then fallow experimentation to incise is Knowledge :

 

I hope for your sake that English is not your first language. This quotation makes no sense. Why should we bother to try to understand it?

[Manticore]

 

Where did you get that imagery, without knowledge?

Just random crap that usually gets filtered out.