“ Science, its imperfections notwithstanding, is the sword in the stone that humanity finally pulled. The question it poses, of universal and orderly materialism, is the most important that can be asked in philosophy and religion. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 3K
“ Science has become the most democratic of all human endeavors. It is neither religion nor ideology. It makes no claims beyond what can be sensed in the real world. It generates knowledge in the most productive and unifying manner contrived in history, and it serves humanity without obeisance to any particular tribal deity. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.3K
“ From the freedom to explore comes the joy of learning. From knowledge acquired by personal initiative arises the desire for more knowledge. And from mastery of the novel and beautiful world awaiting every child comes selfconfidence. The growth of a naturalist is like the growth of a musician or athlete: excellence for the talented, lifelong enjoyment for the rest, benefit for humanity. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 2.1K
“ True selfishness, if obedient to the other constraints of mammalian biology, is the key to a more nearly perfect social contract. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.5K
“ A very Faustian choice is upon us: whether to accept our corrosive and risky behavior as the unavoidable price of population and economic growth, or to take stock of ourselves and search for a new environmental ethic. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 241
“ So, the ant way of life is very ancient and very successful. As far as human beings are concerned, we've been around for only one million years — too soon be sure. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 3.6K
“ Not all ants use violence to dominate their world, some use more subtle methods. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 2.4K
“ Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled my energies and drove me in new directions. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 2.7K
“ Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 2.8K
“ I will be brief. Not nearly so brief as Salvador Dali, who gave the world's shortest speech. He said I will be so brief I have already finished, and he sat down. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 2.3K
“ It's obvious that the key problem facing humanity in the coming century is how to bring a better quality of life - for 8 billion or more people - without wrecking the environment entirely in the attempt. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 4K
“ Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.7K
“ Each species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.1K
“ When altruism is conceived as the mechanism by which DNA multiplies itself through a network of relatives, spirituality becomes just one more Darwinian enabling device. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 3K
“ It's like having astronomy without knowing where the stars are. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.5K
“ Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 699
“ Science is not marginal. Like art, it is a universal possession of humanity, and scientific knowledge has become a vital part of our species' repertory. It comprises what we know of the material world with reasonable certainty. Thanks to science and technology, access to factual information of all kinds is rising exponentially. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 2.5K
“ The essence of humanity's spiritual dilemma is that we evolved genetically to accept one truth and discovered another. Is there a way to erase the dilemma, to resolve the contradictions between the transcendentalist and the empiricist world views? ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 3.9K
“ Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 3.7K
“ You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times, and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.9K
“ There is a hereditary selective advantage to membership in a powerful group united by devout belief and purpose. Even when individuals subordinate themselves and risk death in common cause, their genes are more likely to be transmitted to the next generation than are those of competing groups who lack equivalent resolve. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.3K
“ Perhaps the time has come to cease calling it the environmentalist view, as though it were a lobbying effort outside the mainstream of human activity, and to start calling it the real-world view. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 3.4K
“ Perhaps the time has come to cease calling it the environmentalist view, as though it were a lobbying effort outside the mainstream of human activity, and to start calling it the real-world view. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 3.4K
“ There is a hereditary selective advantage to membership in a powerful group united by devout belief and purpose. Even when individuals subordinate themselves and risk death in common cause, their genes are more likely to be transmitted to the next generation than are those of competing groups who lack equivalent resolve. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.9K
“ Humanity is part of nature, a species that evolved among other species. The more closely we identify ourselves with the rest of life, the more quickly we will be able to discover the sources of human sensibility and acquire the knowledge on which an enduring ethic, a sense of preferred direction, can be built. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.8K
“ A very Faustian choice is upon us: whether to accept our corrosive and risky behavior as the unavoidable price of population and economic growth, or to take stock of ourselves and search for a new environmental ethic. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
- 1.6K
“ No statistical proofs exist that prayer reduces illness and mortality, except perhaps through a psychogenic enhancement of the immune system; if it were otherwise the whole world would pray continuously. ”
- Edward O. Wilson- Copy
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