John Burroughs Quotes

A probing analysis of the problems of evolution forms the basis of my prose.

Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science - in all of biology.

Evolution isn't just a take-it-or-leave-it story about where we came from. It's an epic at the centre of life itself. It tells us we are part of nature in every respect.

If evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve.

Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.

Fresh knowledge leads to recognition of the theory of evolution as more than just a hypothesis.

Scientific theories carry some weight, but evolution, I think everyone would agree, is not a proven fact.

Our physiological constitution is obviously a product of Darwinian processes, insofar as you buy the evolutional theory as a generative, as an account of the mechanism that generated us. Our physiology evolved, our behaviors evolved, and our accounts of those behaviors, both successful and unsuccessful, evolved.

We share deep admiration for evolution, a force of Nature that has led to the finest chemistry of all time, and to all living things on this planet.

No human can design a good enzyme, yet we are surrounded by them after 3.5 billion years of work by evolution.

First, Darwinian theory tells us how a certain amount of diversity in life forms can develop once we have various types of complex living organisms already in existence.

With evolution, things are always changing, so I sort of think: Should we all be growing three heads?

The stupendous time spans of the evolutionary past are now part of common culture (though maybe not in the United States Bible Belt, nor in parts of the Islamic world). Most people are at ease with the idea that our present biosphere is the outcome of four billion years of Darwinian evolution.

I have a strong feeling that the subject of evolution is beautiful without the excuse of creationists needing to be bashed.

The progress of evolution from President Washington to President Grant was alone evidence to upset Darwin.

Evolution thus is merely contingent on certain processes articulated by Darwin: variation and selection.

The idea that you would affect evolution is a very profound thing.

I was taught over and over again that the accumulation of random mutations led to evolutionary change - led to new species. I believed it until I looked for evidence.

There are no shortcuts in evolution.

Evolution is fascinating to watch. To me it is the most interesting when one can observe the evolution of a single man.

Unless one is a religious fundamentalist and believes that man was created in the image and likeness of God, it is foolish to believe that human beings are exempt from biological classification and the laws of evolution that apply to all other life forms.

A major fault, for example, is the fact that, along with the materialist principle, Darwin introduced into his theory of evolution reactionary Malthusian ideas.

You can't even begin to understand biology, you can't understand life, unless you understand what it's all there for, how it arose - and that means evolution.

Evolution is a bankrupt speculative philosophy, not a scientific fact.

I have at least, as I hope, done good service in aiding to overthrow the dogma of separate creations.