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Benjamin Franklin
(17 Jan 1706 - 17 Apr 1790)
American statesman, scientist, inventor, diplomat, author, printer and publisher known for his electrical experiment, the Franklin stove, bifocal eyeglasses and the lightning rod. Less well know are his efforts establishing public amenities, including a fire company, library, and hospital.
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Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Knowledge (9 quotes)
>> Click for 78 Science Quotes by Benjamin Franklin
>> Click for Benjamin Franklin Quotes on | Diet | Doctor | Electricity | Experiment | Health | Life | Physician |
>> Click for 78 Science Quotes by Benjamin Franklin
>> Click for Benjamin Franklin Quotes on | Diet | Doctor | Electricity | Experiment | Health | Life | Physician |
~~[Attributed, authorship undocumented]~~ Mathematical demonstrations are a logic of as much or more use, than that commonly learned at schools, serving to a just formation of the mind, enlarging its capacity, and strengthening it so as to render the same capable of exact reasoning, and discerning truth from falsehood in all occurrences, even in subjects not mathematical. For which reason it is said, the Egyptians, Persians, and Lacedaemonians seldom elected any new kings, but such as had some knowledge in the mathematics, imagining those, who had not, men of imperfect judgments, and unfit to rule and govern.
— Benjamin Franklin
From an article which appeared as 'The Usefulness of Mathematics', Pennsylvania Gazette (30 Oct 1735), No. 360. Collected, despite being without clear evidence of Franklin’s authorship, in The Works of Benjamin Franklin (1809), Vol. 4, 377. Evidence of actual authorship by Ben Franklin for the newspaper article has not been ascertained, and scholars doubt it. See Franklin documents at the website founders.archives.gov. The quote is included here to attach this caution.
A Man of Knowledge like a rich Soil, feeds
If not a world of Corn, a world of Weeds.
If not a world of Corn, a world of Weeds.
— Benjamin Franklin
In Poor Richard's Almanack (1739).
Furnished as all Europe now is with Academies of Science, with nice instruments and the spirit of experiment, the progress of human knowledge will be rapid and discoveries made of which we have at present no conception. I begin to be almost sorry I was born so soon, since I cannot have the happiness of knowing what will be known a hundred years hence.
— Benjamin Franklin
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He's the best physician that knows the worthlessness of the most medicines.
— Benjamin Franklin
In Poor Richard's Almanack (1733).
I have never seen the Philosopher's Stone that turns lead into Gold, but I have known the pursuit of it turn a Man's Gold into Lead.
— Benjamin Franklin
In Poor Richard's Almanack (1738).
If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
— Benjamin Franklin
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Some men grow mad by studying much to know,
But who grows mad by studying good to grow.
But who grows mad by studying good to grow.
— Benjamin Franklin
In Poor Richard's Almanack (1734).
To inquisitive minds like yours and mine the reflection that the quantity of human knowledge bears no proportion to the quantity of human ignorance must be in one view rather pleasing, viz., that though we are to live forever we may be continually amused and delighted with learning something new.
— Benjamin Franklin
In letter to Dr. Ingenhouz. Quoted in Theodore Diller, Franklin's Contribution to Medicine (1912), 65. The source gives no specific cite for the letter, and Webmaster has found the quote in no other book checked, so authenticity is in question.
When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.
— Benjamin Franklin
In Poor Richard’s Almanac (1757, 1900), 23. Published earlier (1732) by Thomas Fuller as: “We never know the worth of water ’til the well is dry.” Proverb collected by Thomas Fuller in Gnomologia: Adagies and Proverbs: Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British (1732), 237.
See also:
- 17 Jan - short biography, births, deaths and events on date of Franklin's birth.
- Benjamin Franklin - context of quote “Dangerous... to take shelter under a tree, during a thunder-gust” - Medium image (500 x 350 px)
- Benjamin Franklin - context of quote “Dangerous... to take shelter under a tree, during a thunder-gust” - Large image (800 x 600 px)
- Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, by Walter Isaacson. - book suggestion.
- Booklist for Benjamin Franklin.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
