--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there were a clear prospect that such…" description: "\"If there were a clear prospect that such evils were part of a barbarian past, then at least we might find a small crumb of comfort. No such prospect ex..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/simon-conway-morris-27873_accounts_if-there-were-a-clear-prospect-that-such_590824.png" --- # If there were a clear prospect that such evils were part… ![“If there were a clear prospect that such evils were part of a barbarian past, then at least we might find a small crumb of comfort. No such prospect exists: no scientific analysis can even remotely answer or account for past and present horrors of human behaviour.” quote by Simon Conway Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/simon-conway-morris-27873_accounts_if-there-were-a-clear-prospect-that-such_590824.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/simon-conway-morris-27873_accounts_if-there-were-a-clear-prospect-that-such_590824.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/simon-conway-morris-27873_accounts_if-there-were-a-clear-prospect-that-such_590824.png) > “If there were a clear prospect that such evils were part of a barbarian past, then at least we might find a small crumb of comfort. No such prospect exists: no scientific analysis can even remotely answer or account for past and present horrors of human behaviour.” [Simon Conway Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-conway-morris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human capacity for evil is not confined to the past; it persists without a clear scientific explanation. **In simple terms:** Evil continues today, lacking simple explanations. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and seek ethical vigilance. Themes ethics human nature history philosophy Mood reflective somber Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - war crimes studies - education curricula - public policy Key Concepts Moral responsibility historical analysis psychology Questions to Reflect On - What drives persistent human cruelty? - How can societies mitigate unknown moral risks? A Different Perspective Science may not fully explain moral failures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Analysis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analysis/) [Barbarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarian/) [Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/) [Behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour/) [Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfort/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Human behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-behaviour/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past and present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-and-present/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Man beset by anarchy, banditry, chaos and extinction must at last resort turn to that chamber of horrors, human enlightenment. For he has nowhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/man-beset-by-anarchy-banditry-chaos-and-extinction-must-at-last/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [ An artist has an obligation to tell the truth. \[...\] that the true horrors of human history derive not from orcs and Dark Lords,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/an-artist-has-an-obligation-to-tell-the-truth-that-the-true-horrors/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [The true horrors of human history derive not from orcs and Dark Lords, but from ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/the-true-horrors-of-human-history-derive-not-from-orcs-and-dark-lords/) [George R. R. 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It encourages promiscuity at an early age”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrianne-ambrose/i-don-t-believe-in-virgin-sacrifice-it-encourages-promiscuity-at-an/) Adrianne Ambrose > [“The Barbarian hopes — and that is the mark of him, that he can have his cake and eat it too.He will consume what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/the-barbarian-hopes-and-that-is-the-mark-of-him-that-he-can-have-his/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [“The barbarian loves his own pride, and hates, or disbelieves in, the pride of others. I will be a civilized being, I will love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-blixen/the-barbarian-loves-his-own-pride-and-hates-or-disbelieves-in-the/) [Karen Blixen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-blixen/) > [“It wasn't too much, to take a frail figure into one's arms for those last moments of life. Better than a cot, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/it-wasn-t-too-much-to-take-a-frail-figure-into-one-s-arms-for-those/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [There are three attributes for which I am grateful to Fortune: that I was born, first, human and not animal; second, man and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thales/there-are-three-attributes-for-which-i-am-grateful-to-fortune-that-i/) [Thales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thales/) > [“(First Barbarian): whats the difference between a lord and a barbarian? (second Barbarian): As little as a week!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gonick/first-barbarian-whats-the-difference-between-a-lord-and-a-barbarian/) Larry Gonick > [If you go back to the Conan the Barbarian series, I really liked that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/if-you-go-back-to-the-conan-the-barbarian-series-i-really-liked-that/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [One simply cannot engage in barbarous action without becoming a barbarian, because one cannot defend human values by calculated and unprovoked violence without doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/one-simply-cannot-engage-in-barbarous-action-without-becoming-a/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) ## More by Simon Conway Morris > [The Burgess Shale is not unique, but for those who study evolution and fossils it has become something of an icon. 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