Human race Quote by Arthur Schopenhauer
““Thus the will-to-live generally feasts on itself, and is in different forms its own nourishment, till finally the human race, because it subdues all the others, regards nature as manufactured for its own use.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The World as Will and Representation, 1818
Human will dominates nature, treating it as a tool for its own ends, reflecting a self‑serving worldview.
In simple terms: We use nature for our own purposes.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and temper exploitative attitudes toward nature.
Themes
philosophy
environment
anthropocentrism
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- environmental policy
- sustainable design
- education
- personal ethics
Key Concepts
will
nature
self‑interest
ethical reflection
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance human needs with nature’s rights?
- What ethical frameworks guide sustainable use?
A Different Perspective
May ignore ecological limits and lead to degradation.
![“[M]an … makes Nature merely the servant of his will and needs, and … degrades it to a mere machine, a product of the will. … [I]ts existence is intelligible to him, … he explains and interprets it out of himself, in accordance with his own feelings and notions.” quote by Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/458/ludwig-feuerbach-3406_a-part_m-an-makes-nature-merely-the-servant-of_3060668.jpg)
![“Creation has been taken down a very different path than We [God] desired. In your world the value of the individual is constantly weighed against the survival of the system - whether political, economical, social, or religious - any system, actually. First one person, and then a few and finally…” quote by William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e69/william-p-young-3038_different-path_creation-has-been-taken-down-a-very-diff_362248.jpg)
![“[T]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres.” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be6/arthur-schopenhauer-226_addresses_t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between_32897.jpg)
![“[Materialism] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism, to chemism, to polarity, to the vegetable and to the animal kingdom. And if we suppose this to have been done, the last link in the chain would be…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal-kingdom_materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-s_50402.jpg)
![“both the Mosaic law and the grace of the new covenant, as both fitted for the times [at which they were given], were bestowed by one and the same God for the benefit of the human race.” quote by The Church Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2e6/the-church-fathers-1438_human-race_both-the-mosaic-law-and-the-grace-of-the_10309.jpg)
