The history of Western science confirms the aphorism that the great menace to progress is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge.

Summary

This quote highlights the idea that ignorance itself is not the primary obstacle to progress in Western science, but rather the false belief of possessing true knowledge. It suggests that when individuals firmly hold onto a sense of understanding and assume they know everything about a subject, they become hindered from further exploration and discovery. In the history of science, many breakthroughs have occurred when old beliefs were challenged and new perspectives were embraced, emphasizing the importance of remaining open-minded and continuously questioning our knowledge in order to make genuine progress.

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