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Thus we have given to man a pedigree of prodigious length, but not, it may be said, of noble quality.
Charles Darwin
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Darwin reflects on human ancestry, emphasizing its extensive history but questioning its nobility.

In this quote, Charles Darwin suggests that while humans possess an impressive lineage stretching back through countless generations, this history does not necessarily confer nobility or superiority. He highlights a tension between the extensive evolutionary history of humans and the qualities that might define a noble character, prompting a reflection on what it truly means to be 'noble' in the context of our origins.

Themes

EvolutionHuman NatureAncestryNobilityDarwin

In practice

Example use cases

During a discussion on human evolution in a philosophy class.

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Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.
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I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection.
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we are always slow in admitting any great change of which we do not see the intermediate steps
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