--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If human nature eventually is going to…" description: "\"If human nature eventually is going to take the place of nature everywhere, those of us who have been naturalists will have to transpose the faith in n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/edward-hoagland-14156_faith_if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-t_3084624.png" --- # If human nature eventually is going to take the place of… ![“If human nature eventually is going to take the place of nature everywhere, those of us who have been naturalists will have to transpose the faith in nature which is inherent in the profession to a faith in man-if necessary, man alone in the world.” quote by Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/edward-hoagland-14156_faith_if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-t_3084624.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/edward-hoagland-14156_faith_if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-t_3084624.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/edward-hoagland-14156_faith_if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-t_3084624.png) > “If human nature eventually is going to take the place of nature everywhere, those of us who have been naturalists will have to transpose the faith in nature which is inherent in the profession to a faith in man-if necessary, man alone in the world.” [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human‑centered science must replace reverence for nature with belief in humanity’s capacity, especially if nature recedes. **In simple terms:** Science may need to trust people more than nature. Key Takeaway Adapt scientific faith to human agency. Themes science philosophy humanism Mood reflective concerned Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - environmental policy - education - research funding - public discourse Key Concepts anthropocentrism faith ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance respect for nature with confidence in humanity? - What safeguards ensure human‑centered decisions remain ethical? A Different Perspective Human nature is unpredictable and may not fulfill the hoped‑for reliability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Naturalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naturalist/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [There surely is in human nature an inherent propensity to extract all the good out of all the evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/there-surely-is-in-human-nature-an-inherent-propensity-to-extract-all/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [Any person by nature has inherent capabilities. You have to trust your instincts and act with spontaneity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdel-fattah-el-sisi/any-person-by-nature-has-inherent-capabilities-you-have-to-trust-your/) [Abdel Fattah el-Sisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdel-fattah-el-sisi/) > [“Until we heal the root cause of our suffering, and awaken to our true nature, our inherent confusion will continue to manifest itself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/until-we-heal-the-root-cause-of-our-suffering-and-awaken-to-our-true/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [Nature will eventually do what nature has always done. It will respond in a self-stabilizing manner over the long term with moderate variability over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sununu/nature-will-eventually-do-what-nature-has-always-done-it-will-respond/) John H. Sununu > [Only by observing the laws of nature can mankind avoid costly blunders in its exploitation. Any harm we inflict on nature will eventually return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xi-jinping/only-by-observing-the-laws-of-nature-can-mankind-avoid-costly/) [Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xi-jinping/) > [Nature eventually has her own way, so perhaps the best procedure is to accept what old Mother Nature or God, if you will, dictates.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-grant/nature-eventually-has-her-own-way-so-perhaps-the-best-procedure-is-to/) [Cary Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-grant/) > [Fracking kills, and it doesn't just kill us. It kills the land, nature and, eventually, the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/fracking-kills-and-it-doesn-t-just-kill-us-it-kills-the-land-nature/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [You feel a lot of rage when someone dies. I have a lot of faith in nature, but it can be cruel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/you-feel-a-lot-of-rage-when-someone-dies-i-have-a-lot-of-faith-in/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [It is an outcome of faith that nature-as she is perceptible to our five senses-takes the character of such a well formulated puzzle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/it-is-an-outcome-of-faith-that-nature-as-she-is-perceptible-to-our/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [When I loose my faith in Human nature, I put my faith in Nature-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucinda-riley/when-i-loose-my-faith-in-human-nature-i-put-my-faith-in-nature/) [Lucinda Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucinda-riley/) > [The worse I get along with people the more I learn to have faith in Nature and concentrate on her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-worse-i-get-along-with-people-the-more-i-learn-to-have-faith-in/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“True evangelical faith is of such a nature it cannot lie dormant, but spreads itself out in all kinds of righteousness and fruits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menno-simons/true-evangelical-faith-is-of-such-a-nature-it-cannot-lie-dormant-but/) [Menno Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menno-simons/) > [Science is a perception of the world around us. Science is a place where what you find in nature pleases you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/science-is-a-perception-of-the-world-around-us-science-is-a-place/) [Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/) > [I think that understanding man's place in nature is going to require integration of the psychedelic experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-think-that-understanding-man-s-place-in-nature-is-going-to-require/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Take time to be still, in a hallowed place in nature, and you'll discover that you are connected to everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/take-time-to-be-still-in-a-hallowed-place-in-nature-and-you-ll/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) ## More by Edward Hoagland > [When I was 18 I worked with the Ringling Brothers circus, taking care of menagerie animals. I used to rather deliberately risk my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/when-i-was-18-i-worked-with-the-ringling-brothers-circus-taking-care/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Henry David Thoreau, who never earned much of a living or sustained a relationship with any woman that wasn't brotherly -- who lived mostly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/henry-david-thoreau-who-never-earned-much-of-a-living-or-sustained-a/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [There is a time of life somewhere between the sullen fugues of adolescence and the retrenchments of middle age when human nature becomes so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/there-is-a-time-of-life-somewhere-between-the-sullen-fugues-of/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [The zest for life of those unusual men and women who make a great zealous success of living is due more often in good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/the-zest-for-life-of-those-unusual-men-and-women-who-make-a-great/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Sophistication" is another word for that inventive mix of tolerance, resilience, and resourcefulness city people develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/sophistication-is-another-word-for-that-inventive-mix-of-tolerance/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [The novelist screws up his courage in order to invest another two or three years in another attempt to float a boat of original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/the-novelist-screws-up-his-courage-in-order-to-invest-another-two-or/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Once I climbed into a mountain lion's cage and she bounded at me and put her paw on my face, but she kept her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/once-i-climbed-into-a-mountain-lion-s-cage-and-she-bounded-at-me-and/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Poetry is engendered in solitude, so what better meter for it than the clip of a buckskin horse?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/poetry-is-engendered-in-solitude-so-what-better-meter-for-it-than-the/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [There often seems to be a playfulness to wise people, as if either their equanimity has as its source this playfulness or the playfulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/there-often-seems-to-be-a-playfulness-to-wise-people-as-if-either/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [The question of whether it's God's green earth is not at center stage, except in the sense that if so, one is reminded with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/the-question-of-whether-it-s-god-s-green-earth-is-not-at-center-stage/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Many people have believed that they were Chosen, but none more baldly than the Texans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/many-people-have-believed-that-they-were-chosen-but-none-more-baldly/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Animals used to provide a lowlife way to kill and get away with it, as they do still, but, more intriguingly, for some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/animals-used-to-provide-a-lowlife-way-to-kill-and-get-away-with-it-as/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Silence is exhilarating at first - as noise is - but there is a sweetness to silence outlasting exhilaration, akin to the sweetness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/silence-is-exhilarating-at-first-as-noise-is-but-there-is-a-sweetness/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Men greet each other with a sock on the arm, women with a hug, and the hug wears better in the long run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/men-greet-each-other-with-a-sock-on-the-arm-women-with-a-hug-and-the/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [Man is different from animals in that he speculates, a high-risk activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/man-is-different-from-animals-in-that-he-speculates-a-high-risk/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) [Explore all 47 Edward Hoagland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) Matt Morris (1 > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) [Browse all 37,796 Faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If human nature eventually is going to take the place of nature everywhere, those of us who have been naturalists will have to transpose the faith in nature which is inherent in the profession to a faith in man-if necessary, man alone in the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Hoagland" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-take-the-place-of-nature/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Faith" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-take-the-place-of-nature/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/edward-hoagland-14156_faith_if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-t_3084624.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/edward-hoagland-14156_faith_if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-t_3084624.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/edward-hoagland-14156_faith_if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-t_3084624.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If human nature eventually is going to take the place of nature everywhere, those of us who have been…” — Edward Hoagland", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edward Hoagland", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If human nature eventually is going...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-take-the-place-of-nature/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/if-human-nature-eventually-is-going-to-take-the-place-of-nature/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```