Every ant knows the formula of its ant-hill.
every bee knows the formula of its beehive.
They know it in their own way, not in our way.
Only humankind does not know its formula.
~Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Uncertainty Principle…
45 Man is nothing but a subject full of natural error that cannot be eradicated except through grace. Nothing shows him the truth, everything deceives him. The two principles of truth, reason and senses, are not only both not genuine, but are engaged in mutual deception. The senses deceive reason through false appearances, and, just as they trick the soul, they are tricked by it in their turn; it takes its revenge. The senses are disturbed by passions, which produce false impressions. They both compete in lies and deception. —Blaise Pascal, Penses
Give us your grace, O Lord, to overcome our complete inadequacy to grasp truth.
Einstein on Education…
I was watching a NOVA special on Einstein when I heard that he had said:
It’s nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled useful curiosity; for this delicate plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom.
Einstein goes on to say:
It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty.
I would conclude from this that the challenge before the student is to maintain a sense of wonder and delight at what he learns. This would be true whether studying physics, literature, sociology, or theology.