“The history of the human race is a continual struggle from darkness towards light. It is, therefore, to no purpose to discuss the use of knowledge; man wants to know, and when he ceases to do so, he is no longer man.”
[Nansen, Fridtjof, A New Route to the North Pole, https://books.google.com/books?id=KPoLAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA693, 11, August 1891, The Forum, 693–709]
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Fridtjof Nansen 4
Norwegian polar explorer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate 1861–1930Related quotes

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1963, American University speech
Context: Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable — that mankind is doomed — that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. We need not accept that view. Our problems are manmade — therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable — and we believe they can do it again.

“The blind man sits in the dark, but for guests he turns on the light.”
12 Years Before Now, In Jerusalem, the Skies are Lower (1991).