Conditions Quote by Thomas Huxley
“Social progress means a checking of the cosmic process at every step and the substitution for it of another, which may be called the ethical process; the end of which is not the survival of those who may happen to be the fittest, in respect of the whole of the conditions which obtain, but of those who are ethically the best.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Ethics of Evolution,” 1885
Ethical progress should replace survival‑of‑the‑fittest with a focus on moral excellence for the whole community.
In simple terms: Moral development outweighs mere survival.
Key Takeaway
Promote ethical values in society.
Themes
ethics
evolution
social justice
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- policy making
- education reform
- community projects
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
collective welfare
human flourishing
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we define “ethical best”?
- What mechanisms ensure ethical progress?
A Different Perspective
Ethical ideals can be vague and hard to enforce universally.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
