Quotes from Charles Darwin

I have steadily endeavoured to keep my mind free, so as to give up any hypothesis, however much beloved (and I cannot resist forming one on every subject), as soon as facts are shown to be opposed to it.

On the other hand, novels which are works of the imagination, though not of a very high order, have been for years a wonderful relief and pleasure to me, and I often bless all novelists. A surprising number have been read aloud to me, and I like all if moderately good, and if they do not end unhappily—against which a law ought to be passed.

Man, like every other animal, has no doubt advanced to his present high condition through a struggle for existence consequent on his multiplication; and if he is to advance still higher, it is to be feared that he must remain subject to a severe struggle.

But then with me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy.

evolution is written on the wings of butterflies

By a monstrosity I presume is meant some considerable deviation of structure, generally injurious, or not useful to the species.

Man selects only for his own good; Nature only for that of the being which she tends.

it appears to me, the doing what little one can to increase the general stock of knowledge is as respectable an object of life, as one can in any likelyhood pursue.

Great as the differences are between the breeds of pigeons, I am fully convinced that the common opinion of naturalists is correct, namely, that all have descended from the rock-pigeon (Columba livia), including under this term several geographical races or sub-species, which differ from each other in the most trifling respects.

In Switzerland the slaves and masters work together

The moral sense perhaps affords the best and highest distinction between man and the lower animals

How have all those exquisite adaptations of one part of the organisation to another part, and to the conditions of life, and of one organic being to another being, been perfected?

But Natural Selection, as we shall hereafter see, is a power incessantly ready for action, and is as immeasurably superior to man's feeble efforts, as the works of Nature are to those of Art.

Esto demuestra lo necesario que es el que todo nuevo punto de vista se explique con una extensión considerable, con el fin de despertar la atención del público.

Ä°nsan kendinin s?n?flay?c?s? olmasayd?, kendini yerleÅŸtirmek için ayr? bir tak?m kurmay? asla düÅŸünmezdi.

belirtilen çeÅŸitli engeller ve belki daha bilinmeyen baÅŸkalar?, toplumun tasas?z, bozuk ve baÅŸka bak?mlardan aÅŸa?? üyelerinin iyi insanlardan daha h?zl? çoÄŸalmas?n? önlemezse, dünya tarihinde pek s?k görüldüÄŸü gibi, ulus geriler.

A pleasurable and excited state of mind, associated with affection, is exhibited by some dogs in a very peculiar manner, namely, by grinning.

Parece no haber más propósito en la variabilidad de los seres vivientes y en la acción de la selección natural que en la dirección en la sopla el viento.

The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute to a man.

I believe man . . . in the same predicament with other animals.

The children of the Indians are saved, to be sold or given away as servants, or rather slaves, for as long a time as the owners can deceive them; but I believe in this respect there is little to complain of.

Attention, if sudden and close, graduates into surprise; and this into astonishment; and this into stupefied amazement.

I received the proceedings of one of the meetings, in which it seemed that the shape of my head had been the subject of a public discussion, and one of the speakers declared that I had the bump of reverence developed enough for ten priests.

All that at present can be said with certainty, is that, as with the individual, so with the species, the hour of life has run its course, ans is spent.