Science does not promise absolute truth, nor does it consider that such a thing necessarily exists. Science does not even promise that everything in the Universe is amenable to the scientific process.
Isaac AsimovRead
Democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity cannot survive it. Convenience and decency cannot survive it. As you put more and more people into the world, the value of life not only declines, but it disappears. It doesn't matter if someone dies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Asimov warns that overpopulation threatens democracy and human dignity, leading to a devaluation of life.
In this quote, Isaac Asimov emphasizes the detrimental effects of overpopulation on society. He argues that as the number of people increases, essential values such as democracy and human dignity decline, ultimately resulting in a world where life itself is diminished in significance. The implications suggest that a crowded world can lead to neglect and a lack of concern for individual lives, calling for a radical reconsideration of how we manage population growth and its consequences on humanity's moral compass.
Themes
OverpopulationDemocracyHuman DignityValue Of LifeSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about environmental sustainability, one might quote Asimov to highlight the implications of increasing population.
More from Isaac Asimov
All quotes βDemocracy cannot survive overpopulation.
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Although the time of death is approaching me, I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell or (what would be considerably worse) going to the popularized version of Heaven. I expect death to be nothingness and, for removing me from all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism.
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A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.
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During the century after Newton, it was still possible for a man of unusual attainments to master all fields of scientific knowledge. But by 1800, this had become entirely impracticable.
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To bring about destruction by overcrowding, mass starvation, anarchy, the destruction of our most cherished values, there is no need to do anything. We need only do nothing except what comes naturally, and breed. And how easy it is to do nothing
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