Private journal (1858), quoted in Gertrude Himmelfarb, Lord Acton: A Study in Conscience and Politics (1952), p. 40
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We must not pursue science for ends independent of science. It must be pursued for its own sake, and must lead to its own results.

— John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "We must not pursue science for ends independent of science. It must be pursued for its own sake, and must lead to its own results." in the context of "Private journal (1858), quoted in Gertrude Himmelfarb, Lord Acton: A Study in Conscience and Politics (1952), p. 40" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton" (Quotes, 1850s) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

About John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1st Baron Acton (10 January 1834 – 19 June 1902) was an English Catholic historian, commonly known as Lord Acton.