About this quote

Scientific inquiry proceeds by looking for lawful relations rather than exceptions created for human preference. Extending that assumption to human action raises difficult questions about causation, prediction, and responsibility.

When to use it

• A psychologist searches for measurable influences on behavior instead of treating choices as causeless events.
• A neuroscientist tests how prior conditions alter decisions while acknowledging limits in prediction.
• A philosophy class compares causal explanation with moral accountability in a concrete legal case.