Animism Quote by David Ray Griffin
“Twentieth-century developments in science support a new animism. Developments in physics have led to a world of energetic events which seem to be self-moving and to behave in unpredictable ways. And recent studies in biology seem to demonstrate that bacteria and macromolecules have elemental forms of perception, memory, choice, and self-motion.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Animism, 2006
Science shows the world is dynamic, self‑moving, and unpredictable, suggesting even tiny entities have perception and choice.
In simple terms: Science reveals lively, self‑acting nature of matter.
Key Takeaway
Recognize agency in all levels of nature.
Themes
science
philosophy
animism
Mood
thought‑provoking
speculative
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- biology research
- physics education
- environmental ethics
- technology design
Key Concepts
self‑organization
perception
emergence
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence supports perception in microbes?
- How does this view affect our environmental responsibility?
A Different Perspective
May over‑attribute consciousness to non‑living matter.
![“Organisms [...] are directed and limited by their past. They must remain imperfect in their form and function, and to that extent unpredictable since they are not optimal machines. We cannot know their future with certainty, if only because a myriad of quirky functional shifts lie within the…” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/92a/stephen-jay-gould-885_adapted_organisms-are-directed-and-limited-by-th_660291.jpg)
![“The result of [the] cumulative efforts to investigate the cell - to investigate life at the molecular level - is a loud, clear, piercing cry of 'design!' The result is so unambiguous and so significant that it must be ranked as one of the greatest achievements in the history of science. The…” quote by Michael Behe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/218/michael-behe-14142_achievement_the-result-of-the-cumulative-efforts-to_3083114.jpg)
