Impossible ideals still demand disciplined effort toward them

Evidence

It has been argued that complete objectivity is impossible, since scholars are human beings, with their own loyalties and biases. This is no doubt true, but does not affect the issue. To borrow an analogy, any surgeon will admit that complete asepsis is also impossible, but one does not, for that reason, perform surgery in a sewer. There is no need to write or teach history in an intellectual sewer either. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1864

Categorization

• XREF: Shares the ‘best effort despite inevitable imperfection’ logic used in scientific realism debates and in arguments about impartial journalism standards. — connects to: Unattainable ideals still dominate human conduct.; An ethical ideal can remain inspiring even when impossible to follow — Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café: Freedom,…, 860
• SEED: The ‘one does not, for that reason, perform surgery in a sewer’ analogy could anchor an essay on why objectivity remains the right standard for scholarship despite its impossibility.