Evolution Quote by Chauncey Wright
“Natural Selection never made it come to pass, as a habit of nature, that an unsupported stone should move downwards rather than upwards. It applies to no part of inorganic nature, and is very limited even in the phenomena of organic life.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Evolutionary Thought, 1889
He argues that natural selection does not apply to inanimate objects moving upward; it is limited to living organisms
In simple terms: Natural selection only works for living things, not rocks moving up
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of biological explanations for physical phenomena
Themes
science
limitations
biology
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- geology
- mechanics
- biology research
- education
Key Concepts
Evolutionary theory
physics
Questions to Reflect On
- Can we apply biological concepts to non‑living systems?
- Where do we draw the line between biology and physics?
A Different Perspective
Biology cannot explain all natural processes
![“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)
