Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.
The question of whether there exists a Creator and Ruler of the Universe has been answered in the affirmative by some of the highest intellects that have ever existed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that some of the greatest minds believe in the existence of a Creator and a governing force behind the universe.
In this quote, Charles Darwin reflects on the question of the existence of a Creator or a ruling force in the universe, indicating that this profound inquiry has been addressed positively by some of the most brilliant thinkers throughout history. It invites contemplation on the relationship between science, faith, and the quest for understanding the cosmos, suggesting that the acceptance of a higher power is not limited to religious belief but has been supported by reason and intellect.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about science and religion, this quote could be used to highlight that intellect can coexist with belief in a higher power.
More from Charles Darwin
All quotes βThe highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.
I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science....It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.
We cannot fathom the marvelous complexity of an organic being; but on the hypothesis here advanced this complexity is much increased. Each living creature must be looked at as a microcosm--a little universe, formed of a host of self-propagating organisms, inconceivably minute and as numerous as the stars in heaven.
I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection.
we are always slow in admitting any great change of which we do not see the intermediate steps
Similar quotes
Outer beauty is inner beauty made visible, and it manifests itself in the light that flows in our eyes.
I'm in favor of animal liberation. Why? Because I'm an animal.
Quite often I can be in a bookshop, standing beneath a great big picture of myself and paying for a book with a credit card clearly marked John Grisham, yet no one recognises me. I often say I'm a famous author in a country where no one reads.
A global human society, characterised by islands of wealth, surrounded by a sea of poverty, is unsustainable
On a level plain, simple mounds look like hills; and the insipid flatness of our present bourgeoisie is to be measured by the altitude of its great intellects.
Once you understand that Goliath is much weaker than you think he is, and David has superior technology, then you say: why do we tell the story the way we do? It becomes, actually, a far more meaningful and important story in its retelling than in the kind of unsophisticated way we've done it for, I think, too long.