To consider the world in its length and breadth, its…
““To consider the world in its length and breadth, its various history, the many races of man, their starts, their fortunes, their mutual alienation, their conflicts; and then their ways, habits, governments, forms of worship; their enterprises, their aimless courses, their random achievements, and acquirements, the impotent conclusion of long-standing facts, the tokens so faint and broken of a superintending design, the blind evolution of what turn out to be great powers or truths, the progress of things, as if from unreasoning elements, not toward final causes, the greatness and littleness of man, his far-reaching aims, his short duration, the curtain hung over his futurity, the disappointments of life, the defeat of good, the success of evil, physical pain, mental anguish, the prevalence of sin, the pervading idolatries, the corruptions, the dreary hopeless irreligion, that condition of the whole race, so fearfully yet exactly described in the Apostle's words, "having no hope and without God in the world," - all this is a vision to dizzy and appall; and inflicts upon the mind the sense of a profound mystery, which is absolutely beyond human solution.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote reflects on humanity’s vast, chaotic history and the seeming lack of a guiding purpose, highlighting existential despair and the mystery beyond human comprehension.
In simple terms: Human history feels random and purposeless, causing existential dread.
Key Takeaway
Accept uncertainty and seek meaning beyond apparent chaos.
Themes
existentialism
history
meaninglessness
human condition
philosophy
Mood
melancholic
thoughtful
introspective
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- academic study
- personal reflection
- spiritual contemplation
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
cosmology
free will
theodicy
nihilism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you find purpose amid apparent randomness?
- Can embracing uncertainty improve resilience?
A Different Perspective
Human experience often finds patterns where none exist, leading to false certainty.