--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Doctrine of Evolution states the fact…" description: "\"The Doctrine of Evolution states the fact that the present is the child of the past and the parent of the future.\" — J. Arthur Thomson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/j-arthur-thomson-47211_biology_the-doctrine-of-evolution-states-the-fac_1451527.jpg" --- # The Doctrine of Evolution states the fact that the present… ![“The Doctrine of Evolution states the fact that the present is the child of the past and the parent of the future.” quote by J. Arthur Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/j-arthur-thomson-47211_biology_the-doctrine-of-evolution-states-the-fac_1451527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/j-arthur-thomson-47211_biology_the-doctrine-of-evolution-states-the-fac_1451527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/j-arthur-thomson-47211_biology_the-doctrine-of-evolution-states-the-fac_1451527.jpg) > “The Doctrine of Evolution states the fact that the present is the child of the past and the parent of the future.” [J. Arthur Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-arthur-thomson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evolution is presented as a continuum linking past, present, and future. **In simple terms:** Present is shaped by past and shapes future. Key Takeaway Recognize intergenerational influence. Themes science philosophy time Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - education - policy making - personal growth Key Concepts causality continuity Questions to Reflect On - How do past events constrain present choices? - Can we break the chain? A Different Perspective May ignore abrupt disruptions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Doctrine Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine-evolution-1386954/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolution States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution-states-5221023/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-parent-2103157/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It is needless to say how great has been the influence of the doctrine of Evolution, or rather perhaps of the method of investigation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldwin-smith/it-is-needless-to-say-how-great-has-been-the-influence-of-the/) [Goldwin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldwin-smith/) > [“I recall that now and I recall everything for what do we have but the past to parent us?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-driskell/i-recall-that-now-and-i-recall-everything-for-what-do-we-have-but-the/) [Kathleen Driskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-driskell/) > [The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/the-wise-man-must-remember-that-while-he-is-a-descendant-of-the-past/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [“The doctrine of evolution thus takes the place of the old religion in the modern man.320It is no science; it does not rest on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-bavinck/the-doctrine-of-evolution-thus-takes-the-place-of-the-old-religion-in/) [Herman Bavinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-bavinck/) > [“The belief in a happy "state of nature" in the remote past is derived partly from the biblical narrative of the age of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-belief-in-a-happy-state-of-nature-in-the-remote-past-is-derived/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Wherever sufficiently numerous series of the remains of any given group, which has endured for a long space of time, are carefully examined, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-henry-huxley/wherever-sufficiently-numerous-series-of-the-remains-of-any-given/) [Thomas Henry Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-henry-huxley/) > [The doctrine of evolution implies the passage from the most organised to the least organised, or, in other terms, from the most general to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hughlings-jackson/the-doctrine-of-evolution-implies-the-passage-from-the-most-organised/) [John Hughlings Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hughlings-jackson/) > [“To understand Darwin's work, you have to distinguish between his theory of descent and his theory of natural selection. 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We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) ## More by J. Arthur Thomson > [The most powerful factors in the world are clear ideas in the minds of energetic men of good will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-arthur-thomson/the-most-powerful-factors-in-the-world-are-clear-ideas-in-the-minds/) [J. Arthur Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-arthur-thomson/) > [A prolonged war in which a nation takes part is bound to impoverish the breed, since the character of the breed depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-arthur-thomson/a-prolonged-war-in-which-a-nation-takes-part-is-bound-to-impoverish/) [J. 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Arthur Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-arthur-thomson/) > [There is no counting the unsolved problems of Natural History.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-arthur-thomson/there-is-no-counting-the-unsolved-problems-of-natural-history/) [J. Arthur Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-arthur-thomson/) > [The man who has grit enough to bring about the afforestation or the irrigation of a country is not less worthy of honor than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-arthur-thomson/the-man-who-has-grit-enough-to-bring-about-the-afforestation-or-the/) [J. Arthur Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-arthur-thomson/) [Explore all 8 J. Arthur Thomson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-arthur-thomson/) ## More Biology quotes > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. 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