Robert Oppenheimer:

It is not possible to be a scientist unless you believe that it is good to learn. It is not possible to be a scientist unless you believe that it is of the highest value to learn. It is not possible to be a scientist unless you believe that the knowledge of the world, and the power which this gives, is a thing which is of intrinsic value to humanity, and that you are using it to help in the spread of knowledge and are prepared to take the consequences.

— Robert Oppenheimer Modern

Manhattan Project leader

Context

Address to the American Philosophical Society

Date / Period

1947

Source

https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/robert-oppenheimer-physics-and-philosophy

Verification

Unverifiable

Explanation

Found in 1 providers: grok

Method

Cross Reference

Sources Checked

1 source

More from Robert Oppenheimer

"There are some people who can live without wild places, and some who cannot."

Strange & Unusual

"The atomic bomb is a reminder that we are all connected, and that we all share a common destiny."

Shocking

"We have made a thing, a most terrible weapon, that has altered the nature of the world. We have made a thing that has made it impossible for us to live without changing our whole way of life."

Controversial

"We must be prepared to make the effort to understand the world, and to live in it as human beings."