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Who really said it

Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them

Written by Alfred North Whitehead 1861–1947 · British mathematician and philosopher
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Alfred North Whitehead wrote these words in chapter V of An Introduction to Mathematics (1911). The primary transcription and the sourced Wikiquote entry agree on the wording.

Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?

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“Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them” — Alfred North Whitehead

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Provenance

The source

Work
An Introduction to Mathematics
Publication
1911
Location
chapter V of An Introduction to Mathematics (1911)

Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them.

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Public domain

This exact original English wording is documented in the pre-1931 work identified above. It is public domain in the United States; this assessment concerns the historical text, not a website’s additional editorial material.

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Context

Why it mattered

Chapter V, The Symbolism of Mathematics, explains how notation and habitual operations free thought for harder problems.

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About Alfred North Whitehead

Alfred North Whitehead

1861–1947 · British mathematician and philosopher

British mathematician and philosopher who wrote on mathematical reasoning, nature and the purposes of education.

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The primary source (Chicago)

Alfred North Whitehead. An Introduction to Mathematics. 1911. Chapter V, “The Symbolism of Mathematics.”

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Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/civilization-advances-by-extending-the-number-of-important/

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