--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing in Nature, much less conscious…" description: "\"Nothing in Nature, much less conscious being, Was e'er created solely for itself.\" — Edward Young" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/edward-young-1446_conscious_nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-be_2018714.png" --- # Nothing in Nature, much less conscious being, Was e'er… ![“Nothing in Nature, much less conscious being, Was e'er created solely for itself.” quote by Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/edward-young-1446_conscious_nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-be_2018714.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/edward-young-1446_conscious_nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-be_2018714.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/edward-young-1446_conscious_nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-be_2018714.png) > “Nothing in Nature, much less conscious being, Was e'er created solely for itself.” [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nature does not exist for its own sake; conscious beings are not created solely for themselves. **In simple terms:** Nature is not self‑serving, nor are conscious beings created only for themselves. Key Takeaway Consider humanity’s place within nature. Themes philosophy nature existence anthropocentrism Mood thoughtful reflective Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - environmental policy - personal reflection - education - philosophical debate Key Concepts self‑interest ethical responsibility environmental ethics Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do we have toward nature? - How does consciousness shape our view of purpose? A Different Perspective Human-centered views can ignore broader ecological impacts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious/) [Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created/) [Created Solely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-solely-1294035/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-conscious-1616459/) [Solely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solely/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing can be more obvious than that all animals were created solely and exclusively for the use of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-love-peacock/nothing-can-be-more-obvious-than-that-all-animals-were-created-solely/) [Thomas Love Peacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-love-peacock/) > [What makes mankind tragic is not that they are the victims of nature, it is that they are conscious of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/what-makes-mankind-tragic-is-not-that-they-are-the-victims-of-nature/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [The artist beholds in nature more than she herself Nature is conscious of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/the-artist-beholds-in-nature-more-than-she-herself-nature-is/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Consciousness is a being the nature of which is to be conscious of the nothingness of its being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/consciousness-is-a-being-the-nature-of-which-is-to-be-conscious-of/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [In a country where offices are created solely for the benefit of the people no one man has any more intrinsic right to official…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/in-a-country-where-offices-are-created-solely-for-the-benefit-of-the-2/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [“Music originated from God and was created solely for his worship, his glory, and his pleasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-okoro/music-originated-from-god-and-was-created-solely-for-his-worship-his/) [Pedro Okoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-okoro/) > [Society or culture or whatever you might want to call it, has created us all solely and wholly for the purpose of maintaining its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/u-g-krishnamurti/society-or-culture-or-whatever-you-might-want-to-call-it-has-created/) [U.G. Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/u-g-krishnamurti/) > [I feel like every time I start up, it's like a truck you have to get into 15th gear, so you very solely crank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/i-feel-like-every-time-i-start-up-it-s-like-a-truck-you-have-to-get/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [However, when the privilege depends solely on the broad, undifferentiated claim of public interest in the confidentiality of such conversations, a confrontation with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/however-when-the-privilege-depends-solely-on-the-broad/) [Warren E. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/) > [I plan someday to do a one-man show based solely on the e-mails of Bellamy Young. And people will think I've written a brilliant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-malina/i-plan-someday-to-do-a-one-man-show-based-solely-on-the-e-mails-of/) [Joshua Malina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-malina/) > [I started digging and found that Israel signed a peace treaty with the United Arab Emirates after the country had diversified their economy, instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-agassi/i-started-digging-and-found-that-israel-signed-a-peace-treaty-with/) [Shai Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-agassi/) > [As a decision maker, you rely on information being passed to you by the people who report to you. As the CEO, however, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/as-a-decision-maker-you-rely-on-information-being-passed-to-you-by/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [When I sit down to begin penciling a page, most of the hard work for me is done. I can concentrate solely on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raina-telgemeier/when-i-sit-down-to-begin-penciling-a-page-most-of-the-hard-work-for/) [Raina Telgemeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raina-telgemeier/) > [It is therefore utterly false to say that Marx revokes the law of value as far as individual commodities are concerned, and maintains it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-hiferding/it-is-therefore-utterly-false-to-say-that-marx-revokes-the-law-of/) [Rudolf Hiferding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-hiferding/) > [Our covering ministry is Challenge for Christ ministries, and Travel the Road was solely our mission arm, designed to expose people to what missions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/our-covering-ministry-is-challenge-for-christ-ministries-and-travel/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) ## More by Edward Young > [Give me, indulgent gods with mind serene, And guiltless heart, to range the sylvan scene, No splendid poverty, no smiling care, No well-bred hate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/give-me-indulgent-gods-with-mind-serene-and-guiltless-heart-to-range/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [The spirit walks of every day deceased.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/the-spirit-walks-of-every-day-deceased/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Tomorrow is a satire on today, And shows its weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/tomorrow-is-a-satire-on-today-and-shows-its-weakness/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Be wise with speed; a fool at forty is a fool indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/be-wise-with-speed-a-fool-at-forty-is-a-fool-indeed/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Procrastination is the thief of time: Year after year it steals, till all are fled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/procrastination-is-the-thief-of-time-year-after-year-it-steals-till/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [ \[The\] public path of life Is dirty. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/the-public-path-of-life-is-dirty/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [He mourns the dead who lives as they desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/he-mourns-the-dead-who-lives-as-they-desire/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Too low they build who build below the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/too-low-they-build-who-build-below-the-skies/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [We are all born originals, why is it so many of us die copies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/we-are-all-born-originals-why-is-it-so-many-of-us-die-copies/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [“By night an atheist half believes in God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/by-night-an-atheist-half-believes-in-god/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Britannia's shame! There took her gloomy flight, On wing impetuous, a black sullen soul . Less base the fear of death than fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/britannia-s-shame-there-took-her-gloomy-flight-on-wing-impetuous-a/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [The chamber where the good man meets his fate Is privileg'd beyond the common walk Of virtuous life, quite in the verge of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/the-chamber-where-the-good-man-meets-his-fate-is-privileg-d-beyond/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Some go to Church, proud humbly to repent, And come back much more guilty than they went: One way they look, another way they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/some-go-to-church-proud-humbly-to-repent-and-come-back-much-more/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [He that is ungrateful has no guilt but one; all other crimes may pass for virtues in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/he-that-is-ungrateful-has-no-guilt-but-one-all-other-crimes-may-pass/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [The maid that loves goes out to sea upon a shattered plank, and puts her trust in miracles for safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/the-maid-that-loves-goes-out-to-sea-upon-a-shattered-plank-and-puts/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) [Explore all 238 Edward Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) ## More Conscious quotes > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [If you are not conscious of all of the different parts of yourself, the part of yourself that is the strongest will win out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/if-you-are-not-conscious-of-all-of-the-different-parts-of-yourself/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/repugnant-is-a-creature-who-would-squander-the-ability-to-lift-an-eye/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [The goal of the Creator is for each entity to make a conscious choice to again seek Oneness, out of our own free will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilcock/the-goal-of-the-creator-is-for-each-entity-to-make-a-conscious-choice/) [David Wilcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilcock/) > [I know one thing: that you can do a lot of things but if you don't educate people into conscious anarchism it gets frittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-know-one-thing-that-you-can-do-a-lot-of-things-but-if-you-don-t/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [All black people who are even minimally conscious, black people who have ever experienced Europe's technological power crusading in the vanguard of a civilizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-nkosi/all-black-people-who-are-even-minimally-conscious-black-people-who/) [Lewis Nkosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-nkosi/) > [ A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. \[Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the-falsehoods-of-rumour-lat/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [I don't think my paintings are self-conscious but you feel the consciousness of them. Without them being self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-think-my-paintings-are-self-conscious-but-you-feel-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) [Browse all 3,716 Conscious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nothing in Nature, much less conscious being, Was e'er created solely for itself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Young" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-being-was-e-er-created-solely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conscious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-being-was-e-er-created-solely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/edward-young-1446_conscious_nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-be_2018714.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/edward-young-1446_conscious_nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-be_2018714.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/edward-young-1446_conscious_nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-be_2018714.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing in Nature, much less conscious being, Was e'er created solely for itself.” — Edward Young", "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 Young", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nothing in Nature, much less conscious...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-being-was-e-er-created-solely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/nothing-in-nature-much-less-conscious-being-was-e-er-created-solely/#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 } } ] } ```