All this creative power of the mind amounts to no more than the faculty of compounding, transposing, augmenting, or diminishing the materials afforded us the by senses and experience.
David HumeRead
The determination of the average man is not merely a matter of speculative curiosity; it may be of the most important service to the science of man and the social system. It ought necessarily to precede every other inquiry into social physics, since it is, as it were, the basis. The average man, indeed, is in a nation what the centre of gravity is in a body; it is by having that central point in view that we arrive at the apprehension of all the phenomena of equilibrium and motion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The average person's characteristics are crucial for understanding society and human behavior.
Adolphe Quetelet emphasizes the importance of studying the average man as a foundational aspect of social sciences. Just as the center of gravity helps in interpreting physical phenomena, understanding the average individual's traits and behaviors provides insight into the functioning of society and social systems.
Themes
Average ManSocietySocial PhysicsHuman BehaviorSocial Equilibrium
In practice
Example use cases
In a sociology class, when discussing societal structures, this quote can help to underscore the importance of studying the average individual.
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