Godel Kurt Quotes & Sayings

[The] first postulate of the Principle of Uniformity, namely, that the laws of nature are invariant with time, is not peculiar to that principle or to geology, but is a common denominator of all science. In fact, instead of being an assumption or an ad hoc hypothesis, it is simply a succinct summation of the totality of all experimental and observational evidence. — M. King Hubbert

All generalisations - perhaps except this one - are false. — Kurt Godel

I am convinced of the afterlife, independent of theology. If the world is rationally constructed, there must be an afterlife — Kurt Godel

The axiomatic method is very powerful — Kurt Godel

The development of mathematics toward greater precision has led, as is well known, to the formalization of large tracts of it, so that one can prove any theorem using nothing but a few mechanical rules ... One might therefore conjecture that these axioms and rules of inference are sufficient to decide any mathematical question that can at all be formally expressed in these systems. It will be shown below that this is not the case, that on the contrary there are in the two systems mentioned relatively simple problems in the theory of integers that cannot be decided on the basis of the axioms. — Kurt Godel

Personally, it's changed my game - it's how I think now. Can't imagine writing more than a paragraph in anything that doesn't do MMD. — Merlin Mann

The physical laws, in their observable consequences, have a finite limit of precision. — Kurt Godel

The payment of debts is necessary for social order. The non-payment is quite equally necessary for social order. For centuries humanity has oscillated, serenely unaware, between these two contradictory necessities. — Simone Weil

Sitting on the arm of the couch Blake waved his hand. "Sure. Whatever. She's all yours."
Daemon grinned. "That she is. — Jennifer L. Armentrout

But every error is due to extraneous factors (such as emotion and education); reason itself does not err. — Kurt Godel

All generalizations, with the possible exception of this one, are false. — Kurt Godel

A consistency proof for [any] system ... can be carried out only by means of modes of inference that are not formalized in the system ... itself. — Kurt Godel

I don't believe in natural science. — Kurt Godel

Either mathematics is too big for the human mind or the human mind is more than a machine. — Kurt Godel

In 1931, Kurt Godel proved in his famous second incompleteness theorem that there could be no finitary proof of the consistency of arithmetic. He had killed Hilbert's program with a single stroke.

So should you be worried that all of mathematics might collapse tomorrow afternoon? For what it's worth, I'm not. I do believe in infinite sets, and I find the proofs of consistency that use infinite sets to be convincing enough to let me sleep at night. — Jordan Ellenberg

I like Islam, it is a consistent idea of religion and open-minded. — Kurt Godel

The meaning of world is the separation of wish and fact. — Kurt Godel

I believe I gather strength from the generations of women who came before me - that together we all hold the suffering of the world. — Elizabeth Berrien

I don't believe in empirical science. I only believe in a priori truth. — Kurt Godel

Kurt Godel's achievement in modern logic is singular and monumental - indeed it is more than a monument, it is a landmark which will remain visible far in space and time ... The subject of logic has certainly completely changed its nature and possibilities with Godel's achievement. — John Von Neumann

I may sound a little black, but I'm really pretty well adjusted. — Hunter S. Thompson

The formation in geological time of the human body by the laws of physics (or any other laws of similar nature), starting from a random distribution of elementary particles and the field is as unlikely as the separation of the atmosphere into its components. The complexity of the living things has to be present within the material [from which they are derived] or in the laws [governing their formation]. — Kurt Godel

The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them. — Moliere

Said to physicist John Bahcall. I don't believe in natural science. — Kurt Godel

Nothing new had been done in Logic since Aristotle! — Kurt Godel

The more I think about language, the more it amazes me that people ever understand each other at all. — Kurt Godel

Ninety percent of [contemporary philosophers] see their principle task as that of beating religion out of men's heads ... We are far from being able to provide scientific basis for the theological world view. — Kurt Godel