--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing is more evident, I venture to…" description: "\"Nothing is more evident, I venture to think, as a result of two or three thousand years of social philosophizing, than that society must live and thriv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/william-ernest-hocking-22839_evident_nothing-is-more-evident-i-venture-to-thi_1890497.jpg" --- # Nothing is more evident, I venture to think, as a result… ![“Nothing is more evident, I venture to think, as a result of two or three thousand years of social philosophizing, than that society must live and thrive by way of the native impulses of individual human beings.” quote by William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/william-ernest-hocking-22839_evident_nothing-is-more-evident-i-venture-to-thi_1890497.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/william-ernest-hocking-22839_evident_nothing-is-more-evident-i-venture-to-thi_1890497.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/william-ernest-hocking-22839_evident_nothing-is-more-evident-i-venture-to-thi_1890497.jpg) > “Nothing is more evident, I venture to think, as a result of two or three thousand years of social philosophizing, than that society must live and thrive by way of the native impulses of individual human beings.” [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society thrives when individuals act according to innate human drives rather than imposed philosophies. **In simple terms:** Human nature drives society. Key Takeaway Honor natural impulses. Themes human nature society philosophy Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - education reform - community building - policy making Key Concepts individualism social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do innate impulses shape modern culture? - When should society curb natural drives? A Different Perspective Neglecting rational critique may ignore harmful instincts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) ## Related quotes > [What our view of the effectiveness of religion in history does at once make evident as to its nature is--first, its necessary distinction; second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/what-our-view-of-the-effectiveness-of-religion-in-history-does-at/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [The process of philosophizing, to my mind, consists mainly in passing from those obvious, vague, ambiguous things, that we feel quite sure of, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-process-of-philosophizing-to-my-mind-consists-mainly-in-passing/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Unlike Descartes, we own and use our beliefs of the moment, even in the midst of philosophizing, until by what is vaguely called scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/unlike-descartes-we-own-and-use-our-beliefs-of-the-moment-even-in-the/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) > [Philosophy is not a body of knowledge to impart to someone, that's why reading philosophy books isn't always the best way of learning philosophy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/philosophy-is-not-a-body-of-knowledge-to-impart-to-someone-that-s-why/) [Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/) > [“To philosophize is to learn to die – philosophizing is a soaring up to the Godhead – the knowledge of Being as Being. “Philosophy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-jaspers/to-philosophize-is-to-learn-to-die-philosophizing-is-a-soaring-up-to/) [Karl Jaspers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-jaspers/) > [Philosophizing is a process of making sense out of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/philosophizing-is-a-process-of-making-sense-out-of-experience/) [Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/) > [“philosophizing happened only because other activities offered the occasion or the stimulation for it. 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Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-c-nussbaum/) > [“The human mind, by its nature, employs in its progress three methods of philosophizing, the character of which is essentially different, and even radically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-comte/the-human-mind-by-its-nature-employs-in-its-progress-three-methods-of/) [Auguste Comte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-comte/) > [When I was twelve, I was interviewed by a doctoral candidate in education and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/when-i-was-twelve-i-was-interviewed-by-a-doctoral-candidate-in/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [ “\[On philosophizing\] Sometimes you have to talk to find out what you think.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-kieran/on-philosophizing-sometimes-you-have-to-talk-to-find-out-what-you/) Dan Kieran > [Philosophizing is simply one way of being afraid, a cowardly pretense that doesn't get you anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/philosophizing-is-simply-one-way-of-being-afraid-a-cowardly-pretense/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) ## More by William Ernest Hocking > [Only the man who has enough good in him to feel the justice of the penalty can be punished; the others can only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/only-the-man-who-has-enough-good-in-him-to-feel-the-justice-of-the/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [Without good-will, no man has any presumptive right, except the right or opportunity to change his will, so long as there is hope of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/without-good-will-no-man-has-any-presumptive-right-except-the-right/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [Principle II: The presumptions of the law are creative presumptions:;: they are aimed at conditions to be brought about, and only for that reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/principle-ii-the-presumptions-of-the-law-are-creative-presumptions/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [However rich we may become in knowledge of the deeper causes of historical results, we forgo all understanding of history if we forget this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/however-rich-we-may-become-in-knowledge-of-the-deeper-causes-of/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [We are driven to confess that we actually care more for religion than we do for religious theories and ideas: and in merely making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/we-are-driven-to-confess-that-we-actually-care-more-for-religion-than/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [Pure community is a matter of no interest to any will; but a community which pursues a common good is of supreme interest to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/pure-community-is-a-matter-of-no-interest-to-any-will-but-a-community/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [I find that a man is as old as his work. If his work keeps him from moving forward, he will look forward with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/i-find-that-a-man-is-as-old-as-his-work-if-his-work-keeps-him-from/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [What our view of the effectiveness of religion in history does at once make evident as to its nature is--first, its necessary distinction; second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/what-our-view-of-the-effectiveness-of-religion-in-history-does-at/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [A person who wills to have a good will, already has a good will--in its rudiments. There is solid satisfaction in knowing that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/a-person-who-wills-to-have-a-good-will-already-has-a-good-will-in-its/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [Principle III: Presumptive rights are the conditions under which individual powers normally develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/principle-iii-presumptive-rights-are-the-conditions-under-which/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [For those who have only to obey, law is what the sovereign commands. For the sovereign, in the throes of deciding what he ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/for-those-who-have-only-to-obey-law-is-what-the-sovereign-commands/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [Principle I: Legal rights are presumptive rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/principle-i-legal-rights-are-presumptive-rights/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [No religion is a true religion that does not make men tingle to their finger tips with a sense of infinite hazard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/no-religion-is-a-true-religion-that-does-not-make-men-tingle-to-their/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [Mr. Rihani, we met once a thousand years ago and we may not meet again for another thousand years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/mr-rihani-we-met-once-a-thousand-years-ago-and-we-may-not-meet-again/) [William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/) > [Wherever moral ambition exists, there right exists. 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