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Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin Quotes

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Famous Charles Darwin Quotes

“The lower animals, on the other hand, must have their bodily structure modified in order to survive under greatly changed conditions. They must be rendered stronger, or acquire more effective teeth or claws, in order to defend themselves from new enemies; or they must be reduced in size so as to escape detection and danger. When they migrate into a colder climate they must become clothed with thicker fur, or have their constitutions altered. If they fail to be thus modified, they will cease to exist.”

IfsHandsOrderAnimalEnemyFailingConditionsHuman NatureDangerChangedConstitutionStrongerStructureClimateSizeCeaseTeethAcquireAlteredFurClawsDetectionMigrate
Book:The origin of species by means of natural selection: The descent of man and selection in relation to sex
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“I fully agree with all that you say on the advantages of Spencer's excellent expression of 'the survival of the fittest.' This, however, had not occurred to me till reading your letter. It is, however, a great objection to this term that it cannot be used as a substantive governing a verb; and that this is a real objection I infer from H. Spencer continually using the words, natural selection.”

RealUsedReadingTermNaturalExpressionSurvivalAdvantageLettersAgreeExcellentSelectionGoverningVerbsObjectionsNatural SelectionSurvival Of The Fittest
Book:Delphi Complete Works of Charles Darwin (Illustrated)
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“Although I am fully convinced of the truth of the views given in this volume under the form of an abstract, I by no means expect to convince experienced naturalists whose minds are stocked with a multitude of facts all viewed, during a long course of years, from a point of view directly opposite to mine... I look with confidence to the future, to young and rising naturalists, who will be able to view both sides of the question with impartiality.”

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Author:Charles Darwin
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“The following proposition seems to me in a high degree probable—namely, that any animal whatever, endowed with well-marked social instincts, the parental and filial affections being here included, would inevitably acquire a moral sense or conscience, as soon as its intellectual powers had become as well, or nearly as well developed, as in man. For, firstly, the social instincts lead an animal to take pleasure in the society of its fellows, to feel a certain amount of sympathy with them, and to perform various services for them.”

MenFeelsWellsSeemsCertainSocialPleasureAnimalMoralAmountDegreesIntellectualConscienceFellowsInstinctAffectionVariousFollowingAcquirePropositionsParentalFilial
Book:Darwin on Evolution: Words of Wisdom from the Father of Evolution
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“Owing to this struggle for life, any variation, however slight and from whatever cause proceeding, if it be in any degree profitable to an individual of any species, in its infinitely complex relationship to other organic beings and to external nature, will tend to the preservation of that individual, and will generally be inherited by its offspring.”

IfsIndividualCausesStruggleDegreesSpeciesComplexesPreservationProfitableVariationNatural SelectionOffspringProceedingOwingOrigin Of SpeciesComplex Relationships
Author:Charles Darwin
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“Consequently, if my theory be true, it is indisputable that before the lowest Silurian stratum was deposited, long periods elapsed, as long as, or probably far longer than, the whole interval from the Silurian age to the present day; and that during these vast, yet quite unknown, periods of time, the world swarmed with living creatures. To the question why we do not find records of these vast primordial periods, I can give no satisfactory answer.”

IfsWorldGivingLongI CanWholeAgeAnswersRecordsTheoryPeriodsCreaturesBeing TrueLowestFossilsIntervalsPresent DayLiving CreaturesOrigin Of Species
Book:On the origin of species ... A facsimile of the first edition, with an introduction by Ernst Mayr. With a portrait and a bibliography
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“The several difficulties here discussed, namely our not finding in the successive formations infinitely numerous transitional links between the many species which now exist or have existed; the sudden manner in which whole groups of species appear in our European formations; the almost entire absence, as at present known, of fossiliferous formations beneath the Silurian strata, are all undoubtedly of the gravest nature.”

WholeKnownGroupsFindingsDifficultySpeciesAbsenceLinksFormation
Book:The Origin of Species: A Variorum Text
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“As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form.”

IfsSometimesFormIndividualStrongBornChanceExistencePrinciplesStruggleConditionsSpeciesComplexesVarietyInheritanceSurvivingProfitableVaryNatural SelectionSelectedRecurringOrigin Of SpeciesStruggle For Existence
Book:Darwin on Evolution: Words of Wisdom from the Father of Evolution
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“It may be said that natural selection is daily and hourly scrutinizing, throughout the world, every variation, even the slightest; rejecting that which is bad, preserving and adding up all that is good; silently and insensibly working, wherever and whenever opportunity offers, at the improvement of each organic being in relation to its organic and inorganic conditions of life.”

WorldMaySaidOpportunityNaturalConditionsOffersRelationImprovementSelectionVariationNatural SelectionRejecting
Book:The Works of Charles Darwin, Volume 15: On the Origin of Species, 1859
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“Each organic being is striving to increase in a geometrical ratio . . . each at some period of its life, during some season of the year, during each generation or at intervals, has to struggle for life and to suffer great destruction . . . The vigorous, the healthy, and the happy survive and multiply.”

YearsSufferingStruggleGenerationsPeriodsHealthyDestructionSeasonsIncreaseStriveVigorousIntervalsRatiosOrigin Of Species
Book:The Origin of Species and The Voyage of the 'Beagle': Introduction by Richard Dawkins
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“I often had to run very quickly to be on time, and from being a fleet runner was generally successful; but when in doubt I prayed earnestly to God to help me, and I well remember that I attributed my success to the prayers and not to my quick running, and marvelled how generally I was aided.”

WellsHelpingRunningRememberPrayerSuccessfulDoubtHelp MeRunnersWhen In Doubt
Book:The Works of Charles Darwin, Volume 29:
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“Hereafter we shall be compelled to acknowledge that the only distinction between species and well-marked varieties is, that the latter are known, or believed to be connected at the present day by intermediate gradations whereas species were formerly thus connected.”

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Book:The Works of Charles Darwin, Volume 16: The Origin of Species, 1876
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“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”

MenLifeInspirationalSpiritualTimeValuesHoursMorningInspirational LifeWasteEternitySpeciesDareMeaningfulThis LifeLive LifeMy TimeThoughtfulTime ManagementWasting TimeOne TimeLive Your LifeEncouragingRight TimeMeaningful LifeInsperationalDaydreamingGreat TimesNatural SelectionBest TimesOne HourMaking TimeWasted TimeLive Life To The FullestNaturalistLife TimeValue Of LifeDon't Waste Your TimeTheory Of EvolutionWasting My TimeTime Of My LifeWasted LifeOrigin Of SpeciesHad A Great TimeManaging TimeLife And TimeDon't Waste TimeLife Is Not Worth LivingLive Your Life To The FullestLive To The FullestLiving A Simple LifeTime Of Your LifeWaste Of LifeValue Of TimeLife Being ShortLife Is Way Too ShortWasted My TimeTime ProverbsFuneral SympathyNot Wasting TimeWasted Time In LifeTime Is PreciousWaste Of SpaceWaste Of Effort
Book:Autobiography and Selected Letters
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“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”

KnowsLittlesDoeProblemScienceKnowledgePositiveHumilityIgnoranceConfidenceEvolutionScientistSpeciesIgnorantScience And ReligionPositivelyNatural SelectionBegetsTheismKnowledge Of GodScience ReligionCreationismTheory Of EvolutionMore KnowledgeScientific FactsScience GodWillful IgnoranceLittle KnowledgeKnowledge And IgnoranceCertain KnowledgeIgnorance Is Not Bliss
Book:Darwin on Evolution: Words of Wisdom from the Father of Evolution
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“In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”

KindLongScienceAnimalKnowledgeCreativityTeamEvolutionSurvivalMathematicsWorking TogetherTeamworkCollaborationCooperationEngineeringHumankindImprovisationImprovisingHuman EvolutionCollaboratingTeamwCooperation TeamworkCooperation And TeamworkImportunateSharing KnowledgeTeamwork And LoveTeam CollaborationCooperation And Collaboration
Book:Darwin on Evolution: Words of Wisdom from the Father of Evolution
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