--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have often said that I am a passionate…" description: "\"I have often said that I am a passionate Darwinian when it comes to explaining why we exist.\" — Richard Dawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/richard-dawkins-115_darwinian_i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate_3053152.jpg" --- # I have often said that I am a passionate Darwinian when it… ![“I have often said that I am a passionate Darwinian when it comes to explaining why we exist.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/richard-dawkins-115_darwinian_i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate_3053152.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/richard-dawkins-115_darwinian_i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate_3053152.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/richard-dawkins-115_darwinian_i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate_3053152.jpg) > “I have often said that I am a passionate Darwinian when it comes to explaining why we exist.” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He identifies as a Darwinian, using evolution to explain existence. **In simple terms:** He uses evolution to explain why we exist. Key Takeaway Consider evolutionary perspectives on life. Themes science evolution existence Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - education - public speaking - debates - writing Key Concepts Darwinism natural selection Questions to Reflect On - How does evolutionary theory shape your worldview? - What limits does it have? A Different Perspective Evolutionary explanations may not satisfy all philosophical questions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darwinian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwinian/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate/) ## Related quotes > [The Darwinian theory is in principle capable of explaining life. No other theory that has ever been suggested is in principle capable of explaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-darwinian-theory-is-in-principle-capable-of-explaining-life-no/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The playwright Rose Franken said, "Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bell/the-playwright-rose-franken-said-anyone-can-be-passionate-but-it/) [Chris Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bell/) > [“At our age, surely there are better things to sustain us, to sustain a marriage, than the brief flame of passion?" ..."You are mistaken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-simonson/at-our-age-surely-there-are-better-things-to-sustain-us-to-sustain-a/) [Helen Simonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-simonson/) > [ I think from my point of view - I won't say it doesn't matter whether \[Darwinian explanations\] are right or wrong, it's just sufficient… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-from-my-point-of-view-i-won-t-say-it-doesn-t-matter-whether/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [From a Darwinian perspective, it is clear what pain is doing. It's a warning: 'Don't do that again.' If you burn yourself, you're never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/from-a-darwinian-perspective-it-is-clear-what-pain-is-doing-it-s-a/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Humans are just a very, very small part of the panoply of life, and it is arguable that in a certain sense, humans have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/humans-are-just-a-very-very-small-part-of-the-panoply-of-life-and-it/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What Darwinian theory shows us is that all human races are extremely close to each other. None of them is in any sense ancestral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-darwinian-theory-shows-us-is-that-all-human-races-are-extremely/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I mean, in a way, I feel that one of the reasons for learning about Darwinian evolution is as an object lesson in how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-mean-in-a-way-i-feel-that-one-of-the-reasons-for-learning-about/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [There is no refutation of Darwinian evolution in existence. If a refutation ever were to come about, it would come from a scientist, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/there-is-no-refutation-of-darwinian-evolution-in-existence-if-a/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It could be that at some earlier time, somewhere in the universe, a civilization evolved by probably some kind of Darwinian means to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-could-be-that-at-some-earlier-time-somewhere-in-the-universe-a/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [There's nothing nonsensical about saying that what would evolve if Darwinian selection has its head is something that you don't want to happen. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/there-s-nothing-nonsensical-about-saying-that-what-would-evolve-if/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We should not live by Darwinian principles. But Darwin explains how we got here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-should-not-live-by-darwinian-principles-but-darwin-explains-how-we/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“But the very fact that Darwinism is true makes it even more important for us to fight against the naturally selfish and exploitative tendencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/but-the-very-fact-that-darwinism-is-true-makes-it-even-more-important/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The interesting question would be whether there's a Darwinian process, a kind of selection process whereby some memes are more likely to spread than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-interesting-question-would-be-whether-there-s-a-darwinian-process/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The idea of tiny changes cumulated over many steps is an immensely powerful idea, capable of explaining an enormous range of things that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-idea-of-tiny-changes-cumulated-over-many-steps-is-an-immensely/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. The true scientist, however passionately he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-fundamentalist-kurt-wise-proclaims-that-all-the-evidence-in-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Religions do make claims about the universe--the same kinds of claims that scientists make, except they're usually false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/religions-do-make-claims-about-the-universe-the-same-kinds-of-claims/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Darwinian quotes > [The Darwinian theory is in principle capable of explaining life. No other theory that has ever been suggested is in principle capable of explaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-darwinian-theory-is-in-principle-capable-of-explaining-life-no/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The interesting question would be whether there's a Darwinian process, a kind of selection process whereby some memes are more likely to spread than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-interesting-question-would-be-whether-there-s-a-darwinian-process/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The funny thing is if in England, you ask a man in the street who the greatest living Darwinian is, he will say Richard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-mayr/the-funny-thing-is-if-in-england-you-ask-a-man-in-the-street-who-the/) [Ernst Mayr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-mayr/) > [ “\[E\]very major religion today is a winner in the Darwinian struggle waged among cultures, and none ever flourished by tolerating its rivals.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-o-wilson/e-very-major-religion-today-is-a-winner-in-the-darwinian-struggle/) [Edward O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-o-wilson/) > [“Darwinian adaptation to environment applies not only to nature but also to society. Just as you don't find eagles living in the ocean or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/darwinian-adaptation-to-environment-applies-not-only-to-nature-but/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Before you can ask 'Is Darwinian theory correct or not?', You have to ask the preliminary question 'Is it clear enough so that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berlinski/before-you-can-ask-is-darwinian-theory-correct-or-not-you-have-to-ask/) [David Berlinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berlinski/) > [“The common conception among the dregs of Darwinian culture is that men have slowly worked their way out of inequality into a state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-common-conception-among-the-dregs-of-darwinian-culture-is-that/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [First, Darwinian theory tells us how a certain amount of diversity in life forms can develop once we have various types of complex living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-e-johnson/first-darwinian-theory-tells-us-how-a-certain-amount-of-diversity-in/) [Phillip E. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-e-johnson/) > [“But the very fact that Darwinism is true makes it even more important for us to fight against the naturally selfish and exploitative tendencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/but-the-very-fact-that-darwinism-is-true-makes-it-even-more-important/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I have been scientifically studying the traits and dispositions of the "lower animals" (so-called,) and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-been-scientifically-studying-the-traits-and-dispositions-of/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [For these two years I have been gravitating towards your doctrines, and since the publication of your primula paper with accelerated velocity. By about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/for-these-two-years-i-have-been-gravitating-towards-your-doctrines/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Every major religion today is a winner in the Darwinian struggle waged among cultures, and none ever flourished by tolerating its rivals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/every-major-religion-today-is-a-winner-in-the-darwinian-struggle/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We should not live by Darwinian principles. But Darwin explains how we got here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-should-not-live-by-darwinian-principles-but-darwin-explains-how-we/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The creation myth is a Darwinian device for survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-o-wilson/the-creation-myth-is-a-darwinian-device-for-survival/) [Edward O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-o-wilson/) > [The Darwinian adaptive trait of our time is the ability to figure out when we are being lied to on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/the-darwinian-adaptive-trait-of-our-time-is-the-ability-to-figure-out/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) [Browse all 82 Darwinian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwinian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have often said that I am a passionate Darwinian when it comes to explaining why we exist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate-darwinian-when-it-comes-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Darwinian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate-darwinian-when-it-comes-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/richard-dawkins-115_darwinian_i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate_3053152.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/richard-dawkins-115_darwinian_i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate_3053152.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/richard-dawkins-115_darwinian_i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate_3053152.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have often said that I am a passionate Darwinian when it comes to explaining why we exist.” — Richard Dawkins", "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": "Richard Dawkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have often said that I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate-darwinian-when-it-comes-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-often-said-that-i-am-a-passionate-darwinian-when-it-comes-to/#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 } } ] } ```