Life is simply the reification of the process of living.
Ernst MayrRead
The most consequential change in man's view of the world, of living nature and of himself came with the introduction, over a period of some 100 years beginning only in the 18th century, of the idea of change itself, of change over periods of time: in a word, of evolution.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the significance of the concept of evolution in transforming humanity's understanding of the world and itself.
Ernst Mayr highlights that the notion of evolution profoundly reshaped humanity's perspective on life and existence, beginning in the 18th century. This shift allowed humans to comprehend not only the biological aspects of life but also the broader implications of change over time, ultimately influencing our worldview and self-identity.
Themes
EvolutionChangeWorldviewPerspectiveNature
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on evolutionary biology, this quote could underscore the fundamental shift in human understanding of life.
More from Ernst Mayr
All quotes →Evolution, thus, is merely contingent on certain processes articulated by Darwin: variation and selection. No longer is a fixed object transformed, as in transformational evolution, but an entirely new start is, so to speak, made in every generation.
Ernst MayrRead
There are a number of attributes of species and populations that are not of any particular selective advantage to any single individual in a population but that are of great advantage to the population as a whole.
Ernst MayrRead
Wherever we look at the living biota … discontinuities are overwhelmingly frequent…The discontinuities are even more striking in the fossil record. New species usually appear in the fossil record suddenly, not connected with their ancestors by a series of intermediates.
Ernst MayrRead
Evolution ... is opportunistic, hence unpredictable.
Ernst MayrRead
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