Albert Einstein quote
From Wikiversity
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
-Albert Einstein, What Life Means to Einstein (1929)
[edit] Context
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
-Albert Einstein As quoted in "What Life Means to Einstein: An Interview by George Sylvester Viereck" in The Saturday Evening Post (26 October 1929) q:en:Albert_Einstein
[edit] Discuss
Perhaps imagination is the basis for all knowledge due to the fact that any kind of invention or theory is either created or purposed as a result of an idea formatted from imagination. Thus proving that knowledge is just as infinite and important as imagination. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.198.132.165 (talk • contribs) 23:08, 18 October 2008 (UTC)
I'd disagree, even the most imaginative person is nothing without knowledge, while someone with great knowledge can still make contributions without imagination. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.208.209.177 (talk • contribs) 23:31, 18 October 2008 (UTC)
You make a good point, yet I feel that only pertains to math and sciences and other forms of "one sided" subjects. Not saying that they aren't a difficult concept that requires both knowledge and imagination but they are much more set in their ways. Where as in the arts, one with knowledge can create things based off of the past when one with imagination can create original work rather than replicas of the past. I feel they have some what of a Ying-Yang relation. For instance, math and music can go hand in hand in some cases, just as imagination and knowledge can. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.121.123.87 (talk • contribs) 23:11, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
Knowledge is simply a reference to what was accomplished due to past acts of imagination. Therefor, it is inferior to imagination in that respect. It is true that someone can contribute without imagination, but none of those contributions can possibly spawn new sources of knowledge. One can teach and pass down previous knowledge without imagination, but only through imagination can new knowledge be created, making knowledge dependent upon imagination and ultimately inferior. But it is very true that knowledge can be an aid to imagination. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.121.123.87 (talk • contribs) 23:11, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
I agree, in the sense that knowledge is dependent upon imagination but I feel that neither is superior, due to the fact that after imagination creates something new, it becomes knowledge. Thus proving that even imagination is dependent upon knowledge; mainly to allow the imagination process to be completed and to become of use. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.121.123.87 (talk • contribs) 23:39, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
I disagree. I believe that imagination doesn't become knowledge, but instead creates knowledge. The imagination still remains after the knowledge is created, and it goes on to create even more knowledge. Imagination is the mother, and knowledge is the child. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.119.203.219 (talk • contribs) 23:45, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
I agree that imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is only the root that initiates imagination. It is the imagination through which one can promote ideas and not knowlege.Knowledge is the fundamental through which scientists promoted inventions through their imagination. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Priyanka sinha (talk • contribs) 03:10, 31 May 2009 (UTC)
New Guy: My dog has knowledge but no imagination. And like most (higher) animals, she gets along okay like that. She knows where she lives, for instance. If she had no knowledge, she may not survive. Imagination is essentially of human importance, but it's probably just ego. You really could become an automaton and still be alive, and not in serious pain. You would no longer be what we called human. Even if the dog analogy is only an analogy, I think it extends out. "More important to what end?" may be the real question. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.164.146.55 (talk • contribs) 15:32, 5 July 2009 (UTC)
This is a slogan that the ignorant and intellectually lazy use to pretend that that they are equal to or better than those those who have actually made the effort to learn about something. (of course, that was not Einstein's intention, if he really ever said it, but it is how it gets used.) It is anti-educational and is an extremely inappropriate epigraph for something purporting to be an educational project. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.84.85.130 (talk • contribs) 04:43, 19 July 2009 (UTC)
A favorite quote of mine. In terms of quotes, people's interpretations are rather contextual. Some people may find the quote inspirational because they tend to be more creative. While others may feel it is insulting to their intellectualism. But personally, I feel the truth of this quote is its ability to convey the importance of both knowledge AND imagination. Inserted into context, Einstein himself was a rather curious and imaginative person. His ability to think beyond the norms is why he was able to develop his Theory of Relativity in the first place. One also cannot deny Einstein's appreciation of creative arts such as literature and music. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.115.55.160 (talk • contribs) 10:18, 23 August 2009 (UTC)
