Animal Quote by Charles Lyell
“'Time's noblest offspring is the last.' This line of Bishop Berkeley's expresses the real cause of the belief in progress in the animal creation.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Principles of Geology, 1830
Berkeley’s line suggests that time’s ultimate product is the final stage of creation, implying a teleological view of progress.
In simple terms: Time’s greatest outcome is its end.
Key Takeaway
Consider the ultimate purpose of time.
Themes
philosophy
progress
teleology
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- long‑term planning
- legacy building
- scientific research
Key Concepts
metaphysics
history
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “last” signify?
- How does this view influence present actions?
A Different Perspective
Interpretations of “offspring” vary.
![“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)
