Decent Quote by Noam Chomsky
“In the literal sense, there has been no relevant evolution since the trek from Africa. But there has been substantial progress towards higher standards of rights, justice and freedom - along with all too many illustrations of how remote is the goal of a decent society.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on evolution and social progress, 2020
Human biological evolution has stalled, yet cultural evolution toward rights and freedom continues, though far from ideal.
In simple terms: Biology unchanged, society improving slowly.
Key Takeaway
Support and demand higher standards of justice.
Themes
social evolution
human rights
progress
Mood
critical
optimistic
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- education
- activism
- public discourse
Key Concepts
cultural development
ethical advancement
Questions to Reflect On
- What concrete steps can you take to promote justice?
- How do you measure true societal progress?
A Different Perspective
Progress is uneven and can be reversed by backlash or apathy.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
