Evolution Quote by C.S. Lewis
““Lead us, Evolution, lead us Up the future's endless stair; Chop us, change us, prod us, weed us. For stagnation is despair: Groping, guessing, yet progressing, Lead us nobody knows where. Wrong or justice, joy or sorrow, In the present what are they while there's always jam-tomorrow, While we tread the onward way? Never knowing where we're going, We can never go astray. To whatever variation Our posterity may turn Hairy, squashy, or crustacean, Bulbous-eyed or square of stern, Tusked or toothless, mild or ruthless, Towards that unknown god we yearn. Ask not if it's god or devil, Brethren, lest your words imply Static norms of good and evil (As in Plato) throned on high; Such scholastic, inelastic, Abstract yardsticks we deny. Far too long have sages vainly Glossed great Nature's simple text; He who runs can read it plainly, 'Goodness = what comes next.' By evolving, Life is solving All the questions we perplexed. Oh then! Value means survival- Value. If our progeny Spreads and spawns and licks each rival, That will prove its deity (Far from pleasant, by our present, Standards, though it may well be).””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Unpublished manuscript, posthumously released 2023
Evolution drives humanity forward, demanding change and rejecting stagnation, while moral certainty is elusive
In simple terms: Progress requires change and questioning norms
Embrace change, question static morals
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Scientific research
- ethical debates
- personal growth
- creative writing
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance progress with moral consistency?
- What role does uncertainty play in ethical decision making?
May imply that all moral frameworks are equally fluid, ignoring absolute values