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Inductive knowledge will remain always imperfect. It will never be perfect, because your examination is limited

Expressions researched:
"inductive knowledge will remain always imperfect. It will never be perfect, because your examination is limited"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Inductive knowledge is always imperfect. Deductive knowledge is perfect if it is taken from the authority. Suppose man is mortal. So inductive process is that you examine every man, whether he's mortal or immortal. So suppose you have seen millions of men, and they are all mortal, they die. Then your conclusion is man is mortal. But I can say you have not seen a man who does not die. I can say that. So this inductive knowledge will remain always imperfect. It will never be perfect, because your examination is limited. So I can that say you have not seen the person, man . . . suppose if I say: "You have not seen Vyāsadeva, he's immortal. You have not seen Aśvatthāmā, he's immortal." So how this scientific research can be perfect, inductive? It is never perfect.

Prabhupāda: ". . . we have got our authority." I have got my authority, Bhāgavatam, Vedic literature. Why shall I give you better preference, your authority? I have got my authority.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So we'll explain there are two types of acquiring knowledge. Two different techniques. Now the scientists are believing their own . . .

Prabhupāda: That is imperfect. Inductive knowledge is always imperfect. Deductive knowledge is perfect if it is taken from the authority. Suppose man is mortal. So inductive process is that you examine every man, whether he's mortal or immortal. So suppose you have seen millions of men, and they are all mortal, they die. Then your conclusion is man is mortal. But I can say you have not seen a man who does not die. I can say that. So this inductive knowledge will remain always imperfect. It will never be perfect, because your examination is limited. So I can that say you have not seen the person, man . . . suppose if I say: "You have not seen Vyāsadeva, he's immortal. You have not seen Aśvatthāmā, he's immortal." So how this scientific research can be perfect, inductive? It is never perfect. Because you may be missing somebody who is immortal, then your conclusion is wrong. There is no scope of studying all the living beings. There is no such scope. You have limited scope. So your seeing power is limited. How you can decide from the limited seeing power?

Rūpānuga: They will say: "Well, we have done so many good things, we have produced so many nice things."

Prabhupāda: You have done nothing good, I say. You have simply wasted time and taken public money, that's all.

Page Title:Inductive knowledge will remain always imperfect. It will never be perfect, because your examination is limited
Compiler:Nabakumar
Created:2022-09-04, 03:20:09
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1