Erasmus Darwin Quotes About Science

Quotes about: Science

• From the sexual, or amatorial, generation of plants new varieties, or improvements, are frequently obtained; as many of the young plants from seeds are dissimilar to the parent, and some of them superior to the parent in the qualities we wish to possess... Sexual reproduction is the chef d'oeuvre, the master-piece of nature.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Science, Parent, Quality

  Erasmus Darwin (1968). “The essential writings of Erasmus Darwin”

• The great CREATOR of all things has infinitely diversified the works of his hands, but has at the same time stamped a certain similitude on the features of nature, that demonstrates to us, that the whole is one family of one parent.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Nature, Science, Hands

• Some philosophers have been of opinion that our immortal part acquires during this life certain habits of action or of sentiment, which become forever indissoluble, continuing after death in a future state of existence ... I would apply this ingenious idea to the generation, or production of the embryon, or new animal, which partakes so much of the form and propensities of the parent.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Science, Animal, Ideas

• The mass starts into a million suns; Earths round each sun with quick explosions burst, And second planets issue from the first.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Science, Issues, Earth

  Erasmus Darwin (1791). “The Botanic Garden; a Poem, in Two Parts. Part I. Containing The Economy of Vegetation. Part II. The Loves of the Plants. With Philosophical Notes”, p.9

• So erst the Sage [Pythagoras] with scientific truth In Grecian temples taught the attentive youth; With ceaseless change how restless atoms pass From life to life, a transmigrating mass; How the same organs, which to-day compose The poisonous henbane, or the fragrant rose, May with to-morrow's sun new forms compile, Frown in the Hero, in the Beauty smile. Whence drew the enlighten'd Sage the moral plan, That man should ever be the friend of man; Should eye with tenderness all living forms, His brother-emmets, and his sister-worms.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Brother, Hero, Eye

• The hypochondriac disease consists in indigestion and consequent flatulency, with anxiety or want of pleasurable sensation.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Science, Anxiety, Disease

  Erasmus Darwin, Samuel Latham Mitchill (1818). “Zoonomia; Or The Laws of Organic Life”, p.112

• By firm immutable immortal laws Impress'd on Nature by the GREAT FIRST CAUSE, Say, MUSE! how rose from elemental strife Organic forms, and kindled into life; How Love and Sympathy with potent charm Warm the cold heart, the lifted hand disarm; Allure with pleasures, and alarm with pains, And bind Society in golden chains.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Nature, Pain, Heart

  Erasmus Darwin (1825). “The Botanic Garden: A Poem, in Two Parts ... The Economy of Vegetation, and The Loves of the Plants. With Philosophical Notes”, p.7

• A fool, Mr, Edgeworth, is one who has never made an experiment.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Science, Fool, Made

• Such is the condition of organic nature! whose first law might be expressed in the words 'Eat or be eaten!' and which would seem to be one great slaughter-house, one universal scene of rapacity and injustice!

  Erasmus Darwin

  Nature, Science, Law

  Erasmus Darwin (1800). “Phytologia; Or, The Philosophy of Agriculture and Gardening: With the Theory of Draining Morasses, and with an Improved Construction of the Drill Plough”, p.556

• The colours of insects and many smaller animals contribute to conceal them from the larger ones which prey upon them. Caterpillars which feed on leaves are generally green; and earth-worms the colour of the earth which they inhabit; butter-flies, which frequent flowers, are coloured like them; small birds which frequent hedges have greenish backs like the leaves, and light-coloured bellies like the sky, and are hence less visible to the hawk who passes under them or over them.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Nature, Flower, Science

  Erasmus Darwin (1807). “The Botanic Garden: A Poem, in Two Parts: Part I. Containing The Economy of Vegetation. Part II. The Loves of the Plants”

• We hence acquire this sublime and interesting idea; that all the calcareous mountains in the world, and all the strata of clay, coal, marl, sand, and iron, which are incumbent on them, are MONUMENTS OF THE PAST FELICITY OF ORGANIZED NATURE!

  Erasmus Darwin

  Science, Past, Ideas

  Erasmus Darwin (1800). “Phytologia, or the philosophy of agriculture and gardening; with the theory of draining morasses and with an improved construction of the drill plough”, p.560

• Life is a forced state! I am surprized that we live, rather than that our friends die.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Life, Science, States

• There are some modern practitioners, who declaim against medical theory in general, not considering that to think is to theorize; and that no one can direct a method of cure to a person labouring under disease, without thinking, that is, without theorizing; and happy therefore is the patient, whose physician possesses the best theory.

  Erasmus Darwin

  Science, Thinking, Physicians

  Erasmus Darwin, Robert Waring Darwin (1794). “Zoonomia; or, The laws of organic life ...”, p.2

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