--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Environmental history was . . . born out…" description: "\"Environmental history was . . . born out of a moral purpose, with strong political commitments behind it, but also became, as it matured, a scholarly e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/donald-worster-50170_affected_environmental-history-was-born-out-of-a_215124.jpg" --- # Environmental history was . . . born out of a moral… ![“Environmental history was . . . born out of a moral purpose, with strong political commitments behind it, but also became, as it matured, a scholarly enterprise that had neither any simple, nor any single, moral or political agenda to promote. Its principal goal became one of deepening our…” quote by Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/donald-worster-50170_affected_environmental-history-was-born-out-of-a_215124.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/donald-worster-50170_affected_environmental-history-was-born-out-of-a_215124.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/donald-worster-50170_affected_environmental-history-was-born-out-of-a_215124.jpg) > “Environmental history was . . . born out of a moral purpose, with strong political commitments behind it, but also became, as it matured, a scholarly enterprise that had neither any simple, nor any single, moral or political agenda to promote. Its principal goal became one of deepening our understanding of how humans have been affected by their natural environment through time and, conversely, how they have affected that environment and with what results.” [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The field started with moral and political aims, but evolved into a scholarly study of reciprocal human‑environment impacts. **In simple terms:** Environmental history grew from activism to academic study of human‑nature interactions. Key Takeaway Study past impacts to inform future choices. Themes environment history human‑nature interaction scholarship Mood reflective analytical Type academic historical When to use this quote - policy analysis - urban planning - climate research - education - heritage conservation Key Concepts reciprocity systems thinking long‑term perspective Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance moral purpose with scholarly objectivity? - What lessons from past human‑environment relations can guide current policy? A Different Perspective May overlook immediate political urgency in favor of academic neutrality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agendas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agendas/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Environmental history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental-history/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Natural environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-environment/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political agendas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-agendas/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Rough times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rough-times/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [We are all of us born in moral stupidity, taking the world as an udder to feed our supreme selves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/we-are-all-of-us-born-in-moral-stupidity-taking-the-world-as-an-udder/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Man has no moral instinct. He is not born with moral sense. You were not born with it, I was not - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/man-has-no-moral-instinct-he-is-not-born-with-moral-sense-you-were/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Environmental historians . . . insist that we have got to go . . . down to the earth itself as an agent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/environmental-historians-insist-that-we-have-got-to-go-down-to-the/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) > [There is little history in the study of nature, and there is little nature in the study of history. I want to show how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/there-is-little-history-in-the-study-of-nature-and-there-is-little/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) > [We may be entering a new phase of history, a time when we begin to rediscover . . . the traditional teaching that power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/we-may-be-entering-a-new-phase-of-history-a-time-when-we-begin-to/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) > [Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses and avoids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/character-is-that-which-reveals-moral-purpose-exposing-the-class-of/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“By the grace of reality and the nature of life, man–every man–is an end in himself, he exists for his own sake, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/by-the-grace-of-reality-and-the-nature-of-life-man-every-man-is-an/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“What we have before us then, is three distinct purposes for a university: the commercial purpose (starting a career), Stephen Pinker’s cognitive purpose (acquiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/what-we-have-before-us-then-is-three-distinct-purposes-for-a/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [The only proper, moral purpose of a government is to protect man's rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence - to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-only-proper-moral-purpose-of-a-government-is-to-protect-man-s/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Man—every man—is an end in himself, not a means to the ends of others; he must live for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/man-every-man-is-an-end-in-himself-not-a-means-to-the-ends-of-others/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Many writers lay very great stress upon some definite moral purpose, at which they profess to aim their works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/many-writers-lay-very-great-stress-upon-some-definite-moral-purpose/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/achievement-of-your-happiness-is-the-only-moral-purpose-of-your-life/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“I’ve never actually seen the military used to any higher moral purpose. There is always the bottom line, somewhere, somehow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-goff/i-ve-never-actually-seen-the-military-used-to-any-higher-moral/) [Stan Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-goff/) > [ “\[L\]ike it or not, the right timing is an inescapable part of human endeavor and thus of politics. . . . But some activists… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarke-d-forsythe/l-ike-it-or-not-the-right-timing-is-an-inescapable-part-of-human/) Clarke D. Forsythe > [“What makes a man a 'sophist' is not his faculty, but his moral purpose. (1355b 17)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/what-makes-a-man-a-sophist-is-not-his-faculty-but-his-moral-purpose/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## More by Donald Worster > [Human domination over nature is quite simply an illusion, a passing dream by a naive species. It is an illusion that has cost us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/human-domination-over-nature-is-quite-simply-an-illusion-a-passing/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) > [Rain is a blessing when it falls gently on parched fields, turning the earth green, causing the birds to sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/rain-is-a-blessing-when-it-falls-gently-on-parched-fields-turning-the/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) > [We may be entering a new phase of history, a time when we begin to rediscover . . . the traditional teaching that power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/we-may-be-entering-a-new-phase-of-history-a-time-when-we-begin-to/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) > [Do what we will, the Colorado will one day find an unimpeded way to the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/do-what-we-will-the-colorado-will-one-day-find-an-unimpeded-way-to/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) > [There is little history in the study of nature, and there is little nature in the study of history. I want to show how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/there-is-little-history-in-the-study-of-nature-and-there-is-little/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) > [Environmental historians . . . insist that we have got to go . . . down to the earth itself as an agent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-worster/environmental-historians-insist-that-we-have-got-to-go-down-to-the/) [Donald Worster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) [Explore all 7 Donald Worster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-worster/) ## More Affected quotes > [To tell you the truth I am hard put to think of anyone who's career was affected significantly by making all those phone calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabney-coleman/to-tell-you-the-truth-i-am-hard-put-to-think-of-anyone-who-s-career/) [Dabney Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabney-coleman/) > [First, climate change is the greatest long-term threat faced by humanity. It could cause more human and financial suffering than the two world wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/first-climate-change-is-the-greatest-long-term-threat-faced-by/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Every culture, if its natural development is not too much affected by political restrictions, experiences a perpetual renewal of the formative urge, and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/every-culture-if-its-natural-development-is-not-too-much-affected-by/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Don't show them that you are affected.. Instead, show them that you are happy even without them.. To put a sad face on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlene05/don-t-show-them-that-you-are-affected-instead-show-them-that-you-are/) Sharlene05 > [I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-wish-we-could-go-back-to-the-time-when-the-private-lives-of-our/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Don't be intimidated by people who seem to be experts. Hear their points of view and get their judgements. But at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/don-t-be-intimidated-by-people-who-seem-to-be-experts-hear-their/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Who what am I? My answer: I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/who-what-am-i-my-answer-i-am-the-sum-total-of-everything-that-went/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I have wondered why is it that some people are less affected and torn by the verities of life and death that others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-wondered-why-is-it-that-some-people-are-less-affected-and-torn/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Then, the other thing that affected my interest in choices growing up was the fact that I was going blind and that meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/then-the-other-thing-that-affected-my-interest-in-choices-growing-up/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I don't think Wayne Rooney would be affected if you booed him, that's just how he is, but others go under. They really suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lampard/i-don-t-think-wayne-rooney-would-be-affected-if-you-booed-him-that-s/) [Frank Lampard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lampard/) > [I'm not good at standing on platforms and persuading people to my political point of view. Nor would I seek to. My gift is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/i-m-not-good-at-standing-on-platforms-and-persuading-people-to-my/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [I was trying to hold up a mirror to this country, to reflect the past years or so, and the varying degrees in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/i-was-trying-to-hold-up-a-mirror-to-this-country-to-reflect-the-past/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [We know COVID-19 hasn't affected communities equally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/we-know-covid-19-hasn-t-affected-communities-equally/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) Browse all 1,050 Affected quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Environmental history was . . . born out of a moral purpose, with strong political commitments behind it, but also became, as it matured, a scholarly enterprise that had neither any simple, nor any single, moral or political agenda to promote. 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