Apes Quote by Charles Darwin
“At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace throughout the world the savage races. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes, as Professor Schaaffhausen has remarked, will no doubt be exterminated. The break will then be rendered wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilised state as we may hope, than the Caucasian and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as at present between the negro or Australian and the gorilla.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Descent of Man, 1871
Darwin predicts that as humanity advances, it will eliminate less ' humans and even apes, widening the gap between civilized and primitive life.
In simple terms: Future humans will eradicate less civilized peoples and apes.
Key Takeaway
Consider the moral implications of such progress.
Themes
evolution
civilization
ethics
colonialism
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- Scientific discourse
- colonial policy
- ethical debates
- future speculation
Key Concepts
Social Darwinism
species hierarchy
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do we have toward less advanced peoples?
- Can scientific advancement justify domination?
A Different Perspective
Assumes a deterministic view of progress, ignoring agency and moral responsibility.
![“I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/958/charles-darwin-507_bounds_i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculation_35382.jpg)
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
