Aspiration Quote by H. L. Mencken
“New York is the place where all the aspirations of the western world meet to form one vast master aspiration, as powerful as the suction of a steam dredge. It is the icing on the pie called Christian civilization.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The American Mind", 1915
Describes New York as the epicenter of Western aspirations and Christian civilization.
In simple terms: New York embodies Western and and Christian ideals.
Key Takeaway
Understand cultural centrality of major cities.
Themes
urbanism
culture
civilization
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- travel
- urban planning
- cultural studies
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
metropolitan influence
ideological convergence
Questions to Reflect On
- What other cities challenge this view?
- How does this perspective affect cultural policy?
A Different Perspective
May overgeneralize diverse influences.
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
![“One of the great crimes of the Bloomberg/Klein administration [in New York City] is that they've removed themselves from communities, as if communities have nothing to say about what their needs and aspirations are for themselves and for their children.” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cfb/bill-ayers-1848_administration_one-of-the-great-crimes-of-the-bloomberg_36172.jpg)
