Charles Darwin Quotes on Knowledge
Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist whose work transformed the life sciences and reshaped Western thought. This page collects quotes attributed to Charles Darwin on the topic of knowledge, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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Attributed to Charles Darwin:
“False views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm; for everyone takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness.”
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Attributed to Charles Darwin:
“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”
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“Letter to Caroline Darwin (18 July 1836). Nora Barlow (ed.) Charles Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle (New York: Philosophical Library, 1946) p. 143”
The Beagle staid at St. Helena five days, during which time I lived in the clouds in the centre of the Isd.—It is a curious little world within itself; the habitable part is surrounded by a broad band of black desolate rocks, as if the wide barrier of the ocean was not sufficient to guard the precious spot. -
“volume II, chapter XXVII: "Provisional Hypothesis of Pangenesis", page 374”
I assume that cells, before their conversion into completely passive or "formed material," throw off minute granules or atoms, which circulate freely throughout the system, and when supplied with proper nutriment multiply by self-division, subsequently becoming developed into cells like those from which they were derived. These granules for the sake of distinctness may be called … gemmules. They a -
“Through the principle of associated habit, the same movements of the face and eyes are practised, and can, indeed, hardly be avoided, whenever we know or believe that others are blaming, or too strongly praising, our moral conduct.”
chapter XIII: "Self-attention — Shame — Shyness — Modesty: Blushing", page 347 -
“chapter XIII: "Self-attention — Shame — Shyness — Modesty: Blushing", page 347”
Through the principle of associated habit, the same movements of the face and eyes are practised, and can, indeed, hardly be avoided, whenever we know or believe that others are blaming, or too strongly praising, our moral conduct. -
“chapter XIV: "Concluding Remarks and Summary", page 350”
Even insects express anger, terror, jealousy, and love by their stridulation . -
“chapter XIV: "Concluding Remarks and Summary", page 352”
[T]he young and the old of widely different races, both with man and animals, express the same state of mind by the same movements.