Dominion Quote by David Mitchell
““Our weaponry was not dropped onto our laps one morning. It is not manna from Sinai’s skies. Since Agincourt, the White man has refined & evolved the gunpowder sciences until our modern armies may field muskets by the tens of thousands! Aha!’ you will ask, yes, ‘But why us Aryans? Why not the Unipeds of Ur or the Mandrakes of Mauritius?’ Because, Preacher, of all the world’s races, our love—or rather our rapacity—for treasure, gold, spices & dominion, oh, most of all, sweet dominion, is the keenest, the hungriest, the most unscrupulous! This rapacity yes, powers our Progress; for ends infernal or divine I know not. Nor do you know, sir. Nor do I overly care. I feel only gratitude that my Maker cast me on the winning side.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Cloud Atlas, 2004
Human ambition and greed drive technological progress, often ignoring moral costs and leading to destructive outcomes.
In simple terms: Greed fuels progress, but at ethical cost.
Key Takeaway
Beware unchecked ambition.
Themes
ethics
technology
human nature
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
cautionary
When to use this quote
- policy making
- corporate governance
- environmental activism
- educational curricula
- public discourse
Key Concepts
progressive innovation
resource exploitation
military advancement
Questions to Reflect On
- How does greed shape societies?
- What safeguards can limit destructive progress?
A Different Perspective
The narrative glorifies conquest, overlooking victims’ suffering.
![“The thing that was forfeited in the garden was regained. God gave him [Adam] dominion over the works of His hand. God made him His understudy, His king to rule over everything that had life. Man was master, man lived in the realm of god. He lived on terms of equality with God. God was a faith God…” quote by John G. Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/428/john-g-lake-12667_adam_the-thing-that-was-forfeited-in-the-gard_84356.jpg)
![“It may be said of them [the Hollanders], as of the Spaniards, that the sun never sets upon their Dominions.” quote by Thomas Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e12/thomas-gage-63372_dominion_it-may-be-said-of-them-the-hollanders-as_103053.jpg)