Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.
Charles DarwinRead
I liked the thought of being a country clergyman. Accordingly I read with care Pearson on the Creed and a few other books on divinity; and as I did not then in the least doubt the strict and literal truth of every word in the Bible, I soon persuaded myself that our Creed must be fully accepted.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Darwin reflects on his youthful certainty in religious beliefs and how he endeavored to align his thoughts with religious doctrine.
In this quote, Charles Darwin candidly shares his early aspirations to become a country clergyman, highlighting his initial conviction in the literal truth of the Bible. He describes a process of intellectual engagement with religious texts, which showcases how deeply he sought to understand and accept religious beliefs at that time, ultimately demonstrating the tension between faith and inquiry that can arise in one's journey toward understanding.
Themes
BeliefReligionPhilosophyUnderstandingFaithTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about faith and doubt, one might quote Darwin to emphasize the conflict between scientific inquiry and religious belief.
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.
Charles DarwinRead
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.
Charles DarwinRead
I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection.
Charles DarwinRead
we are always slow in admitting any great change of which we do not see the intermediate steps
Charles DarwinRead
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