Charles Lyell Biography & Quotes

Source: Principles of Geology0: Being an Inquiry how Far the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface are Referable to Causes Now in Operation : In 4 Volumes

“There is no foundation in geological facts, for the popular theory of the successive development of the animal and vegetable world, from the simplest to the most perfect forms.”

World Facts Form Science Perfect Animal Theory Development Foundation Vegetables Simplest Geology

Book:Principles of Geology: Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface, by Reference to Causes Now in Operation

Source: Principles of Geology: Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface, by Reference to Causes Now in Operation

“[My Book] will endeavour to establish the principle[s] of reasoning in ... [geology]; and all my geology will come in as illustration of my views of those principles, and as evidence strengthening the system necessarily arising out of the admission of such principles, which... are neither more nor less than that no causes whatever have from the earliest time to which we can look back, to the present, ever acted, but those now acting; and that they never acted with different degrees of energy from that which they now exert.”

Looks Book Different Science Energy Causes Views Acting Principles Degrees Evidence Reasoning Endeavour Illustration Geology Strengthening Admission

Author:Charles Lyell

“Amidst the vicissitudes of the earth's surface, species cannot be immortal, but must perish, one after another, like the individuals which compose them. There is no possibility of escaping from this conclusion.”

Earth Science Individual Possibility Accounts Species Surface Conclusion Immortal Extinction Escaping Vicissitudes

Book:Principles of geology ; or, The modern changes of the earth and its inhabitants considered as illustrative of geology

Source: Principles of geology ; or, The modern changes of the earth and its inhabitants considered as illustrative of geology

“When the aggregate amount of solid matter transported by rivers in a given number of centuries from a large continent, shall be reduced to arithmetical computation, the result will appear most astonishing to those...not in the habit of reflecting how many of the mightiest of operations in nature are effected insensibly, without noise or disorder.”

Matter Science Given Results Numbers Century Amount Habit Rivers Accounts Noise Operations Disorder Continents Reflecting Astonishing Computation

Author:Charles Lyell

“So far from having a materialistic tendency, the supposed introduction into the earth at successive geological periods of life,-sensation,-instinct,-the intelligence of the higher mammalia bordering on reason,-and lastly the improvable reason of Man himself, presents us with a picture of the ever-increasing dominion of mind over matter.”

Men Mind Matter Reason Earth Science Higher Periods Instinct Tendencies Sensations Introduction Dominion Materialistic

Book:The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man with Remarks on Theories of the Origin of Species by Variation by Charles Lyell

Source: The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man with Remarks on Theories of the Origin of Species by Variation by Charles Lyell

“I may conclude this chapter by quoting a saying of Professor Agassiz, that whenever a new and startling fact is brought to light in science, people first say, 'it is not true,' then that 'it is contrary to religion,' and lastly, 'that everybody knew it before.'”

People Firsts May Facts Light Truth Science Religion Contrary Professors Chapters Quoting

Book:The Geological Evidence of Man

Source: The Geological Evidence of Man

“The earth's becoming at a particular period the residence of human beings, was an era in the moral, not in the physical world, that our study and contemplation of the earth, and the laws which govern its animate productions, ought no more to be considered in the light of a disturbance or deviation from the system, than the discovery of the satellites of Jupiter should be regarded as a physical event in the history of those heavenly bodies, however influential they may have become from that time in advancing the progress of sound philosophy among men.”

Source: Principles of Geology

“Hitherto, no rival hypothesis has been proposed as a substitute for the doctrine of transmutation; for 'independent creation,' as it is often termed, or the direct intervention of the Supreme Cause, must simply be considered as an avowal that we deem the question to lie beyond the domain of science.”

Has Beens Science Lying Causes Creation Direct Independent Supreme Doctrine Substitutes Hypothesis Domain Intervention Rivals Transmutation

Book:The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man with Remarks on Theories of the Origin of Species by Variation by Charles Lyell

Source: The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man with Remarks on Theories of the Origin of Species by Variation by Charles Lyell

“In the course of this short tour, I became convinced that we must turn to the New World if we wish to see in perfection the oldest monuments of the earth's history, so far at least as relates to its earliest inhabitants.”

Ifs World Earth Science Turns Courses Wish Perfection Convinced Relate New World Monument

Book:Travels in North America, in the Years 1841-2: With Geological Observations on the United States, Canada, and Nova Scotia

Source: Travels in North America, in the Years 1841-2: With Geological Observations on the United States, Canada, and Nova Scotia

“Never was there a dogma more calculated to foster indolence, and to blunt the keen edge of curiosity, than the assumption of the discordance between the former and the existing causes of change.”

Science Causes Change Curiosity Edges Former Assumption Dogma Blunt Indolence

Book:Principles of Geology: Being an Inquiry how Far the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface are Referable to Causes Now in Operation

Source: Principles of Geology: Being an Inquiry how Far the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface are Referable to Causes Now in Operation

“Each species may have had its origin in a single pair, or individual, where an individual was sufficient, and species may have been created in succession at such times and in such places as to enable them to multiply and endure for an appointed period, and occupy an appointed space on the globe.”

May Has Beens Science Individual Space Periods Species Endure Sufficient Pairs Globes Succession

Book:Principles of geology ; or, The modern changes of the earth and its inhabitants considered as illustrative of geology

Source: Principles of geology ; or, The modern changes of the earth and its inhabitants considered as illustrative of geology

“I long ago suggested the hypothesis, that in the basin of the Thames there are indications of a meeting in the Pleistocene period of a northern and southern fauna.”

Long Periods Meetings Southern Long Ago Hypothesis Indication Thames

Book:The Geological Evidence of the Antiquity of Man with an Outline of Glacial and Post-tertiary Geology and Remarks on the Origin of Species with Special Reference to Mans First Appearance on the Earth by Charles Lyell

Source: The Geological Evidence of the Antiquity of Man with an Outline of Glacial and Post-tertiary Geology and Remarks on the Origin of Species with Special Reference to Mans First Appearance on the Earth by Charles Lyell

“In the shallow parts of many Swiss lakes, where there is a depth of no more than from 5 to 15 feet of water, ancient wooden piles are observed at the bottom sometimes worn down to the surface of the mud, sometimes projecting slightly above it.”

Sometimes Water Feet Depth Bottom Ancient Surface Lakes Worn Shallow Mud Swiss Shallow Water

Book:The Geological Evidence of Man

Source: The Geological Evidence of Man

“It has long been a fact familiar to geologists, that, both on the east and west coasts of the central part of Scotland, there are lines of raised beaches, containing marine shells of the same species as those now inhabiting the neighbouring sea.”