Quotessence
Home / Authors / Georges Cuvier
Georges Cuvier

Georges Cuvier Quotes

Naturalist

Filter quotes by topic

AllScienceAnimalEarthMenFossilsLayersRevolutionBonesEventsExistenceGlobesHas BeensImportanceLandLongMorphologySurfaceTheoryAncientAreas

Famous Georges Cuvier Quotes

“A famous anecdote concerning Cuvier involves the tale of his visitation from the devil—only it was not the devil but one of his students dressed up with horns on his head and shoes shaped like cloven hooves. This frightening apparition burst into Cuvier's bedroom when he was fast asleep and claimed: 'Wake up thou man of catastrophes. I am the Devil. I have come to devour you!' Cuvier studied the apparition carefully and critically said, 'I doubt whether you can. You have horns and hooves. You eat only plants.”

MenSaidDoubtStudentsDevilWake UpPlantShoesTalesFrighteningBedroomCatastropheHornsDressed UpAnecdotesApparitionsVisitationMorphology
Author:Georges Cuvier
Create image

“Since nothing can exist that does not fulfil the conditions which render its existence possible, the different parts each being must be co-ordinated in such a way as to render possible the existence of the being as a whole, not only in itself, but also in its relations with other beings, and the analysis of these conditions often leads to general laws which are as certain as those which are derived from calculation or from experiment.”

WayDoeDifferentWholeLawCertainExistenceConditionsRelationExperimentsAnalysisCalculationsMorphology
Author:Georges Cuvier
Create image