Quotessence
Home / Books / The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence

The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence

Book by Carl Sagan · 4 quotes · Sleep, Animal Communication, Animal Intelligence

Filter quotes by topic

AllSleepAnimal CommunicationAnimal IntelligenceDreamsEvolutionHuman EvolutionBrain AnatomyBrain FunctionHuman BrainHuman NatureIntelligenceLanguageSign LanguageHuman BehaviorHumanidadHypothesis TestingScienceAbortoAnimal BehaviourAnimal Rights

The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence Quotes

“Much of the difficulty in attempting to restructure American and other societies arises form this resistance by groups with vested interests in the status quo. Significant change might require those who are now high in the hierarchy to move downward many steps. This seems to them undesirable and its resisted.”

Human Nature
Book:The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
Create image

“Perhaps the most striking aspect of this entire subject is that there are nonhuman primates so close to the edge of language, so willing to learn, so entirely competent in its use and inventive in its application once the language is taught. But this raises a curious question: Why are they all on the edge? Why are there no nonhuman primates with an existing complex gestural language? One possible answer, it seems to me, is that humans have systematically exterminated those other primates who displayed signs of intelligence.”

Human NatureEvolutionHuman Intelligence
Book:The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
Create image

“While ritual, emotion and reasoning are all significant aspects of human nature, the most nearly unique human characteristic is the ability to associate abstractly and to reason. Curiosity and the urge to solve problems are the emotional hallmarks of our species; and the most characteristically human activities are mathematics, science, technology, music and the arts--a somewhat broader range of subjects than is usually included under the "humanities." Indeed, in its common usage this very word seems to reflect a peculiar narrowness of vision about what is human. Mathematics is as much a "humanity" as poetry.”

HumanityHuman NatureMathematicsThe HumanitiesMathematics And Music
Book:The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
Create image

“...two chimpanzees were observed maltreating a chicken: One would extend some food to the fowl, encouraging it to approach; whereupon the other would thrust at it with a piece of wire it had concealed behind its back. The chicken would retreat but soon allow itself to approach once again--and be beaten once again. Here is a fine combination of behavior sometimes thought to be uniquely human: cooperation, planning a future course of action, deception and cruelty.”

Human NatureCrueltyChimpanzees
Book:The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
Create image