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George Gaylord Simpson Quotes

The fact - not theory - that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in popular opinion that the distinction must be stressed Picture Quote #1

If a sect does officially insist that its structure of belief demands that evolution be false, then no compromise is possible. An honest and competent biology teacher can only conclude that the sect’s beliefs are wrong and that its religion is a false one Picture Quote #1

Man is the result of a purposeless and materialistic process that did not have him in mind. He was not planned. He is a state of matter, a form of life, a sort of animal, and a species of the Order Primates, akin nearly or remotely to all of life and indeed to all that is material Picture Quote #1

It is now firmly established that ontogeny does not repeat phylogeny Picture Quote #1

The search for historical laws is, I maintain, mistaken in principle Picture Quote #1

It is inherent in any definition of science that statements that cannot be checked by observation are not really saying anything or at least they are not science Picture Quote #1

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Man is the result of a purposeless and natural process that did not have him in mind Picture Quote #1

Human judgment is notoriously fallible and perhaps seldom more so than in facile decisions that a character has no adaptive significance because we do not know the use of it Picture Quote #1

The science of systematics has long been affected by profound philosophical preconceptions, which have been all the more influential for being usually covert, even subconscious Picture Quote #1

Almost all paleontologists recognize that the discovery of a complete transition is in any case unlikely Picture Quote #1

It remains true, as every paleontologist knows, that most new species, genera, and families, and that nearly all categories above the level of families, appear in the record suddenly and are not led up to by known, gradual completely continuous transitional sequences Picture Quote #1

If a sect does officially insist that its structure of belief demands that evolution be false, then no compromise is possible. An honest and competent biology teacher can only conclude that the sect’s beliefs are wrong and that its religion is a false one Picture Quote #1

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The meaning that we are seeking in evolution is its meaning to us, to man. The ethics of evolution must be human ethics. It is one of the many unique qualities of man, the new sort of animal, that he is the only ethical animal. The ethical need and its fulfillment are also products of evolution, but they have been produced in man alone Picture Quote #1

Man has risen, not fallen. He can choose to develop his capacities as the highest animal and to try to rise still farther, or he can choose otherwise. The choice is his responsibility, and his alone. There is no automatism that will carry him upward without choice or effort and there is no trend solely in the right direction. Evolution has no purpose; man must supply this for himself. The means to gaining right ends involve both organic evolution and human evolution, but human choice as to what are the right ends must be based on human evolution Picture Quote #1

Species evolve exactly as if they were adapting as best they could to a changing world, and not at all as if they were moving toward a set goal Picture Quote #1

I have a debt, a loyalty to the museum; the best place for me to do what I wanted to do Picture Quote #1

I don’t know where to put whales. I’m sticking them here, but I don’t have any reason for it Picture Quote #1

Recognition of this kinship with the rest of the universe is necessary for understanding him, but his essential nature is defined by qualities found nowhere else, not by those he has in common with apes, fishes, trees, fire, or anything other than himself Picture Quote #1

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The fact - not theory - that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in popular opinion that the distinction must be stressed. (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) If a sect does officially insist that its structure of belief demands that evolution be false, then no compromise is possible. An honest and competent biology teacher can only conclude that the sect’s beliefs are wrong and that its religion is a false one. (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) Man is the result of a purposeless and materialistic process that did not have him in mind. He was not planned. He is a state of matter, a form of life, a sort of animal, and a species of the Order Primates, akin nearly or remotely to all of life and indeed to all that is material (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) It is now firmly established that ontogeny does not repeat phylogeny (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) The search for historical laws is, I maintain, mistaken in principle (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) It is inherent in any definition of science that statements that cannot be checked by observation are not really saying anything or at least they are not science (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) Man is the result of a purposeless and natural process that did not have him in mind (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) Human judgment is notoriously fallible and perhaps seldom more so than in facile decisions that a character has no adaptive significance because we do not know the use of it (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) The science of systematics has long been affected by profound philosophical preconceptions, which have been all the more influential for being usually covert, even subconscious (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) Almost all paleontologists recognize that the discovery of a complete transition is in any case unlikely (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) It remains true, as every paleontologist knows, that most new species, genera, and families, and that nearly all categories above the level of families, appear in the record suddenly and are not led up to by known, gradual completely continuous transitional sequences (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) If a sect does officially insist that its structure of belief demands that evolution be false, then no compromise is possible. An honest and competent biology teacher can only conclude that the sect’s beliefs are wrong and that its religion is a false one (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) The meaning that we are seeking in evolution is its meaning to us, to man. The ethics of evolution must be human ethics. It is one of the many unique qualities of man, the new sort of animal, that he is the only ethical animal. The ethical need and its fulfillment are also products of evolution, but they have been produced in man alone (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) Man has risen, not fallen. He can choose to develop his capacities as the highest animal and to try to rise still farther, or he can choose otherwise. The choice is his responsibility, and his alone. There is no automatism that will carry him upward without choice or effort and there is no trend solely in the right direction. Evolution has no purpose; man must supply this for himself. The means to gaining right ends involve both organic evolution and human evolution, but human choice as to what are the right ends must be based on human evolution (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) Species evolve exactly as if they were adapting as best they could to a changing world, and not at all as if they were moving toward a set goal (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) I have a debt, a loyalty to the museum; the best place for me to do what I wanted to do (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) I don’t know where to put whales. I’m sticking them here, but I don’t have any reason for it (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes) Recognition of this kinship with the rest of the universe is necessary for understanding him, but his essential nature is defined by qualities found nowhere else, not by those he has in common with apes, fishes, trees, fire, or anything other than himself (George Gaylord Simpson Quotes)