---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great question, whether man is of…"
description: "\"The great question, whether man is of nature or above her.\" — George Perkins Marsh"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/george-perkins-marsh-40286_inspirational_the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nat_524014.png"
---

#  The great question, whether man is of nature or above her.

![“The great question, whether man is of nature or above her.” quote by George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/george-perkins-marsh-40286_inspirational_the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nat_524014.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/george-perkins-marsh-40286_inspirational_the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nat_524014.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/george-perkins-marsh-40286_inspirational_the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nat_524014.png)

> “The great question, whether man is of nature or above her.”

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote questions whether humanity is part of nature or stands above it, prompting reflection on our relationship with the environment.

**In simple terms:** Are we part of nature or separate from it?

Key Takeaway

Consider humanity’s ecological role.

Themes

philosophy environment anthropocentrism

Mood

thoughtful concerned

Type

philosophical environmental

When to use this quote

- policy making
- environmental education
- urban planning
- conservation projects

Key Concepts

ecology ethics human nature

Questions to Reflect On

- What responsibilities arise if we are part of nature?
- How does seeing ourselves above nature affect our actions?

A Different Perspective

The dichotomy may be false; humans are both within and impacting nature.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/)

## Related quotes

> [The great question...which I have not been able to answer... is, "What...does a woman want?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-great-question-which-i-have-not-been-able-to-answer-is-what-does/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [“The question for the man of sense is: Do we or do we not want to go to hell? And his answer is: No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-question-for-the-man-of-sense-is-do-we-or-do-we-not-want-to-go-to/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-great-question-which-i-have-not-been-able-to-answer-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I have yet not been able to answer the great question that has never been answered. 'What does a woman want?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/i-have-yet-not-been-able-to-answer-the-great-question-that-has-never/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [The question I'm always asking myself is: are we masters or victims? Do we make history, or does history make us? Do we shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-question-i-m-always-asking-myself-is-are-we-masters-or-victims-do/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-great-question-is-not-whether-you-have-failed-but-whether-you-are/)

[Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/)

> [ The Answer to the Great Question Of...Life, the Universe and Everything...\[is\] Forty-two. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-answer-to-the-great-question-of-life-the-universe-and-everything/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [Like everything, what compels one to put pen to paper is a great question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-solondz/like-everything-what-compels-one-to-put-pen-to-paper-is-a-great/)

[Todd Solondz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-solondz/)

> [The great question which, in all ages, has disturbed mankind, and brought on them the greatest part of their mischiefs ... has been, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/the-great-question-which-in-all-ages-has-disturbed-mankind-and/)

[John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/)

> [The man who sees both sides of a question is a man who sees absolutely nothing at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-man-who-sees-both-sides-of-a-question-is-a-man-who-sees/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Every question in a man’s life answers naturally to the supernatural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-oyedepo/every-question-in-a-man-s-life-answers-naturally-to-the-supernatural/)

[David O. Oyedepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-oyedepo/)

> [“The man who sees both sides of a question is a man who sees absolutely nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-man-who-sees-both-sides-of-a-question-is-a-man-who-sees-2/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“The key question, it seemed to him, was that of whether man was to obey Nature, or attempt to command her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/the-key-question-it-seemed-to-him-was-that-of-whether-man-was-to-obey/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [Whether man is a product of evolution or is 'created' becomes the question, 'Who is man? Is he part of the world or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/whether-man-is-a-product-of-evolution-or-is-created-becomes-the/)

[Alija Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/)

> [“Do you want to achieve something or do you just want to make money?” asked a nearby man in a white shirt to another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-amory/do-you-want-to-achieve-something-or-do-you-just-want-to-make-money/)

[Daniel Amory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-amory/)

## More by George Perkins Marsh

> [Man is everywhere a disturbing agent. Wherever he plants his foot, the harmonies of nature are turned to discords.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/man-is-everywhere-a-disturbing-agent-wherever-he-plants-his-foot-the/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [The improvement of forest trees is the work of centuries. So much more the reason for beginning now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/the-improvement-of-forest-trees-is-the-work-of-centuries-so-much-more/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [The equation of animal and vegetable life is too complicated a problem for human intelligence to solve, and we can never know how wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/the-equation-of-animal-and-vegetable-life-is-too-complicated-a/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [ When not protected by law, by popular favor or superstition, or by other special circumstances, \[birds\] yield very readily to the influences of civilization,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/when-not-protected-by-law-by-popular-favor-or-superstition-or-by/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [We have now felled forest enough everywhere, in many districts far too much. Let us restore this one element of material life to its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/we-have-now-felled-forest-enough-everywhere-in-many-districts-far-too/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [All Nature is linked together by invisible bonds and every organic creature, however low, however feeble, however dependent, is necessary to the well-being of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/all-nature-is-linked-together-by-invisible-bonds-and-every-organic/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [Man has too long forgotten that the earth was given to him for usufruct alone, not for consumption, still less for profligate waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/man-has-too-long-forgotten-that-the-earth-was-given-to-him-for/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [Sight is a faculty; seeing is an art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/sight-is-a-faculty-seeing-is-an-art/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [Apart from the hostile influence of man, the organic and the inorganic world are ... bound together by such mutual relations and adaptations s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/apart-from-the-hostile-influence-of-man-the-organic-and-the-inorganic/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

> [Wherever modern Science has exploded a superstitious fable or even a picturesque error, she has replaced it with a grander and even more poetical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/wherever-modern-science-has-exploded-a-superstitious-fable-or-even-a/)

[George Perkins Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

[Explore all 11 George Perkins Marsh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/)

## More Inspirational quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/)

[H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/)

> [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/)

[Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/)

> [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/)

[Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/)

> [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/)

[Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/)

> [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/)

[Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/)

> [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/)

[Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/)

> [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

[Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The great question, whether man is of nature or above her.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Perkins Marsh"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nature-or-above-her/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Inspirational"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nature-or-above-her/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/george-perkins-marsh-40286_inspirational_the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nat_524014.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/george-perkins-marsh-40286_inspirational_the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nat_524014.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/george-perkins-marsh-40286_inspirational_the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nat_524014.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The great question, whether man is of nature or above her.” — George Perkins Marsh",
                "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": "George Perkins Marsh",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perkins-marsh/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The great question, whether man is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nature-or-above-her/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perkins-marsh/the-great-question-whether-man-is-of-nature-or-above-her/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
