“A new scientific truth does not generally triumph by persuading its opponents and getting them to admit their errors, but rather by its opponents gradually dying out and giving way to a new generation that is raised on it.” – Max Planck – Nobel laureate
Max Planck’s famous statement captures a fundamental truth about the nature of scientific advancement: paradigms shift not through debate alone, but through the inexorable passage of time and generational change. This observation, drawn from his personal experiences, has become known as Planck’s Principle and resonates deeply in the philosophy of science1,2.
The Man Behind the Words: Max Planck’s Life and Legacy
Born in 1858 in Kiel, Germany, Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck was a pioneering theoretical physicist who fundamentally transformed our understanding of the physical world. Educated at the universities of Munich and Berlin, he initially pursued classical thermodynamics before making his revolutionary breakthrough. In 1900, Planck introduced the concept of energy quanta to resolve discrepancies in black-body radiation, laying the foundation for quantum theory-a radical departure from classical physics that earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 19181,2.
Planck’s career was marked by profound challenges. His quantum hypothesis faced fierce opposition from established scientists who clung to classical theories. Despite providing rigorous theoretical proofs, Planck struggled to gain widespread acceptance, a frustration he later reflected upon candidly. He served as president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society (predecessor to the Max Planck Society) from 1926 to 1937 and navigated the moral complexities of Nazi Germany, including the loss of his son to execution on false treason charges. Planck died in 1947, leaving an indelible mark on modern physics1,3.
The Context and Origin of the Quote
The quote originates from Planck’s Scientific Autobiography, published posthumously in German in 1948 and translated into English in 1949. Writing in his later years, Planck recounted the ‘painful experiences’ of promoting his quantum ideas: ‘It is one of the most painful experiences of my entire scientific life that I have but seldom… succeeded in gaining universal recognition for a new result, the truth of which I could demonstrate by a conclusive, albeit only theoretical proof.’ He then articulated the principle as a ‘remarkable fact’1,3.
A slightly longer version appears on pages 33 and 97: ‘An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes Paul. What does happen is that its opponents gradually die out, and that the growing generation is familiarised with the ideas from the beginning.’ This reflects his view of science as an evolutionary process governed by human biology-death and renewal-rather than mere persuasion2.
Though cited in Advances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology (1980), the quote’s primary source is Planck’s autobiography. It has been paraphrased colloquially as ‘Science progresses one funeral at a time,’ a concise version popularised by economist Paul Samuelson in the 1960s, who credited Planck while introducing the vivid phrasing3.
Planck’s Principle in the Philosophy of Science
Scholars have interpreted the statement in multiple ways. In sociology of scientific knowledge, it underscores that change occurs via generational turnover, not individual conversions2. Some see it as highlighting age-related stubbornness in science, contrasting with Karl Popper’s emphasis on falsifiability. Others view it as a truism about time’s role in validating enduring truths, as new ideas persist while flawed ones fade1.
A 2023 study empirically supported Planck, finding that citations of new theories increase significantly after the deaths of prominent opponents, confirming science advances ‘one funeral at a time’5.
Leading Theorists on Scientific Change
- Thomas S. Kuhn (1922-1996): In his seminal 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn cited Planck directly, popularising the idea of paradigm shifts-periods of ‘normal science’ punctuated by revolutions where old frameworks resist until supplanted. Kuhn argued that scientists cling to paradigms until anomalies force change, aligning with Planck’s generational mechanism3.
- Karl Popper (1902-1994): Popper’s philosophy of falsifiability emphasised testable predictions and bold conjectures, contrasting Planck’s view by focusing on rational critique over demographic inevitability. Yet both highlight resistance to novelty1.
- Paul A. Samuelson (1915-2009): The Nobel-winning economist adapted Planck’s idea to economics, noting in his textbook that new doctrines prevail ‘funeral by funeral,’ influencing broader discussions on intellectual progress3.
Planck’s words remind us that innovation in science, and indeed all fields of knowledge, demands patience. True progress endures beyond lifetimes, outlasting opposition through education and time.
References
1. https://buyscience.wordpress.com/history-of-science/plancks-principle/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck’s_principle
3. https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/09/25/progress/
4. https://insertphilosophyhere.com/science-its-tricky/
6. https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/moving-forward-does-science-progress-one-funeral-at-a-time-
