Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.
Charles DarwinRead
A man who has no assured and ever present belief in the existence of a personal God or of a future existence with retribution and reward, can have for his rule of life, as far as I can see, only to follow those impulses and instincts which are the strongest or which seem to him the best ones
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that without belief in God or an afterlife, individuals may only rely on their instincts to guide their actions.
In this quote, Charles Darwin reflects on the implications of lacking a belief in a personal God or a future existence after death. He argues that such a lack of belief could lead an individual to follow their strongest impulses, as there would be no moral or spiritual framework to guide their decisions. This statement raises important questions about morality, purpose, and the sources of ethical guidance in a secular worldview.
Themes
BeliefMoralityInstinctsGodExistenceLife
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the foundations of morality in a secular society.
More from Charles Darwin
All quotes →The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.
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I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science....It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.
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We cannot fathom the marvelous complexity of an organic being; but on the hypothesis here advanced this complexity is much increased. Each living creature must be looked at as a microcosm--a little universe, formed of a host of self-propagating organisms, inconceivably minute and as numerous as the stars in heaven.
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I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection.
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we are always slow in admitting any great change of which we do not see the intermediate steps
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