On The Origin of Species Quotes

“When we reflect on this struggle we may console ourselves with the full belief that the war of nature is not incessant, that no fear is felt, that death is generally prompt, and that the vigorous, the healthy, and the happy survive and multiply.”

― Charles Darwin, On The Origin of Species

topic:nature

“Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows.”

― Charles Darwin, On The Origin of Species

topic:naturewar

“It may metaphorically be said that natural selection is daily and hourly scrutinising, throughout the world, the slightest variations; rejecting those that are bad, preserving and adding up all that are good; silently and insensibly working,...”

― Charles Darwin, On The Origin of Species

topic:nature

“He who believes that each being has been created as we now see it, must occasionally have felt surprise when he has met with an animal having habits and structure not in agreement.”

― Charles Darwin, On The Origin of Species

topic:belief

“In all cases positive palaeontological evidence may be implicitly trusted; negative evidence is worthless, as experience has so often shown.”

― Charles Darwin, On The Origin of Species

topic:experiencescience

“Nevertheless, so profound is our ignorance, and so high our presumption, that we marvel when we hear of the extinction of an organic being; and as we do not see the cause, we invoke cataclysms to desolate the world, or invent laws on the duration...”

― Charles Darwin, On The Origin of Species

topic:ignorance

“If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case.”

― Charles Darwin, On The Origin of Species

topic:theory