Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.
Charles DarwinRead
We thus learn that man is descended from a hairy quadruped, furnished with a tail and pointed ears, probably arboreal in its habits, and an inhabitant of the Old World.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote illustrates the evolutionary theory, suggesting that humans share a common ancestor with other primates.
In this quote, Charles Darwin communicates the idea that humans have evolved from simpler life forms, specifically a distant ancestor that was a hairy four-legged creature adapted to living in trees. This notion challenges traditional beliefs about the uniqueness of humans by showing our connection to the animal kingdom, emphasizing the scientific understanding of evolution and the gradual changes that have shaped our species over millions of years.
Themes
EvolutionHumanityAncestryScienceNature
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about human origins during a biology class.
More from Charles Darwin
All quotes βThe highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.
Charles DarwinRead
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.
Charles DarwinRead
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.
Charles DarwinRead
I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection.
Charles DarwinRead
we are always slow in admitting any great change of which we do not see the intermediate steps
Charles DarwinRead
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Many investigators feel uneasy stating in public that the origin of life is a mystery, even though behind closed doors they admit they are baffled.
Paul DaviesRead
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No barrier stands between the material world of science and the sensibilities of the hunter and the poet.
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Arthur EddingtonRead