Darwin Quote by Daniel Dennett
“Darwin's idea of natural selection makes people uncomfortable because it reverses the direction of tradition.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Evolution and Society, Harvard University, 2015
Natural selection challenges traditional views because it suggests that species evolve without a predetermined direction, unsettling comfort with established hierarchies.
In simple terms: Natural selection reverses traditional expectations, causing discomfort.
Key Takeaway
Embrace scientific explanations even when they disrupt tradition.
Themes
evolution
tradition
comfort
science
philosophy
Mood
inquisitive
analytical
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- public debate
- science communication
- philosophical inquiry
Key Concepts
adaptation
ontological shift
cognitive dissonance
Questions to Reflect On
- How does natural selection reshape our understanding of progress?
- What aspects of tradition resist scientific change?
A Different Perspective
It may be perceived as threatening to cultural or religious identities.
![“[Religious belief is] outmoded and ridiculous. [Belief in gods was a] worn out but once useful crutch in mankind's journey towards truth. We consider the time has come for that crutch to be abandoned. It is a vacuous answer... To say that 'God made the world' is simply a more or less sophisticated…” quote by P.W. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4df/p-w-atkins-58341_answers_religious-belief-is-outmoded-and-ridicul_151446.jpg)
![“[Charles] Darwin, for example, is the one who made us face the fact that the primary way we tell the Christ story doesn't work anymore.” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1a9/john-shelby-spong-1488_christ_charles-darwin-for-example-is-the-one-wh_194036.jpg)
