Thomas Huxley Quotes - Page 9

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The Bible has been the Magna Charta of the poor and of the oppressed.

Thomas Huxley

Poor, Magna Carta, Has Beens

"The Essence of T. H. Huxley: Selections Form His Writings".

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Deduction, which takes us from the general proposition to facts again-teaches us, if I may so say, to anticipate from the ticket what is inside the bundle.

Thomas Huxley

Science, May, Facts

Thomas Henry Huxley (1872). “Lay Sermons, Addresses, and Reviews”, p.83

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Mathematics may be compared to a mill of exquisite workmanship, which grinds you stuff of any degree of fineness; but, nevertheless, what you get out depends upon what you put in; and as the grandest mill in the world will not extract wheat-flour from peascods, so pages of formulae will not get a definite result out of loose data.

Thomas Huxley

Work, Data, May

"Geological Reform". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, Volume 25, 1869.

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It may be quite true that some negroes are better than some white men; but no rational man, cognisant of the facts, believes that the average negro is the equal, still less the superior, of the average white man. And, if this be true, it is simply incredible that, when all his disabilities are removed, and our prognathous relative has a fair field and no favour, as well as no oppressor, he will be able to compete successfully with his bigger-brained and smaller-jawed rival, in a contest which is to be carried on by thoughts and not by bites.

Thomas Huxley

Believe, Men, Thinking

"Emancipation – Black and White". Essay by Thomas Henry Huxley, mathcs.clarku.edu. 1865.

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The only objections that have occurred to me are, 1st that you have loaded yourself with an unnecessary difficulty in adopting Natura non facit saltum so unreservedly. . . . And 2nd, it is not clear to me why, if continual physical conditions are of so little moment as you suppose, variation should occur at all. However, I must read the book two or three times more before I presume to begin picking holes.

Thomas Huxley

Book, Science, Two

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As for your doctrines I am prepared to go to the Stake if requisite ... I trust you will not allow yourself to be in any way disgusted or annoyed by the considerable abuse & misrepresentation which unless I greatly mistake is in store for you... And as to the curs which will bark and yelp - you must recollect that some of your friends at any rate are endowed with an amount of combativeness which (though you have often & justly rebuked it) may stand you in good stead - I am sharpening up my claws and beak in readiness.

Thomas Huxley

Mistake, Science, Annoyed

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We live in the hope and faith that, by the advance of molecular physics, we shall by-and-by be able to see our way as clearly from the constituents of water to the properties of water, as we are now able to deduce the operations of a watch from the form of its parts and the manner in which they are put together.

Thomas Huxley

Water, Together, Able

Thomas Henry Huxley (2008). “A Scientific Education”, p.107, Lulu.com

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The doctrine of transmigration was a means of constructing a plausible vindication of the ways of the cosmos to man; none but very hasty thinkers will reject it on the grounds of inherent absurdity.

Thomas Huxley

Mean, Men, Way

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Science is nothing, but trained and organized common sense.

Thomas Huxley

Science, Common Sense, Common

'Collected Essays' (1893-94) 'The Method of Zadig'

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In fact a favourite problem of Tyndall is-Given the molecular forces in a mutton chop, deduce Hamlet or Faust therefrom. He is confident that the Physics of the Future will solve this easily.

Thomas Huxley

Science, Facts, Literature

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The scientific imagination always restrains itself within the limits of probability.

Thomas Huxley

Imagination, Limits, Probability

Thomas Henry Huxley (2012). “Collected Essays, Volume V Science and Christian Tradition: Essays”, p.138, tredition

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Any one who has studied the history of science knows that almost every great step therein has been made by the "anticipation of Nature," that is, by the invention of hypotheses, which, though verifiable, often had very little foundation to start with; and, not unfrequently, in spite of a long career of usefulness, turned out to be wholly erroneous in the long run.

Thomas Huxley

Running, Knowledge, Science

Thomas Henry Huxley (2011). “Collected Essays”, p.62, Cambridge University Press

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Cosmic evolution may teach us how the good and evil tendencies of man may have come about; but, in itself, it is incompetent to furnish any better reason why what we call good is preferable to what we call evil than we had before. Some day, I doubt not, we shall arrive at an understanding of the evolution of the aesthetic faculty; but all the understanding in the world will neither increase nor diminish the force of the intuition that this is beautiful and that is ugly.

Thomas Huxley

Beautiful, Men, Evil

Thomas Henry Huxley (2011). “Collected Essays”, p.80, Cambridge University Press

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The most considerable difference I note among men is not in their readiness to fall into error, but in their readiness to acknowledge these inevitable lapses.

Thomas Huxley

Fall, Humility, Men

Thomas Henry Huxley (2011). “Collected Essays”, p.157, Cambridge University Press

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As to sagacity, I should say that his judgement respecting the warmest place and the softest cushion in a room is infallible, his punctuality at meal times is admirable, and his pertinacity in jumping on people's shoulders till they give him some of the best of what is going, indicates great firmness.

Thomas Huxley

Cat, Jumping, People

Thomas Henry Huxley, Leonard Huxley (1900). “Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley”

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That man, I think, has had a liberal education, who has been so trained in youth that his body is the ready servant of his will.

Thomas Huxley

Education, Teaching, Men

Thomas Henry Huxley (1997). “The Major Prose of Thomas Henry Huxley”, p.211, University of Georgia Press

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Agnosticism simply means that a man shall not say that he knows or believes that for which he has no grounds for professing to believe.

Thomas Huxley

Believe, Mean, Men

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The only question which any wise man can ask himself, and which any honest man will ask himself, is whether a doctrine is true or false.

Thomas Huxley

Wise, Men, True Or False

Thomas Henry Huxley (2011). “Collected Essays”, p.244, Cambridge University Press

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That which lies before the human race is a constant struggle to maintain and improve, in opposition to State of Nature, the State of Art of an organized polity; in which, and by which, man may develop a worthy civilization

Thomas Huxley

Art, Nature, Lying

Thomas Henry Huxley (1997). “The Major Prose of Thomas Henry Huxley”, p.307, University of Georgia Press

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The more rapidly truth is spread among mankind the better it will be for them. Only let us be sure that it is the truth.

Thomas Huxley

Truth Is, Mankind, Spread

Leonard Huxley, Thomas Henry Huxley (2011). “Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley”, p.266, Cambridge University Press

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The foundation of morality is to have done, once and for all, with lying.

Thomas Huxley

Life, Success, Trust

Thomas Henry Huxley (2011). “Collected Essays”, p.146, Cambridge University Press

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Unity of plan everywhere lies hidden under the mask: of diversity of structure-the complex is everywhere evolved out of the simple.

Thomas Huxley

Lying, Science, Simple

Thomas Henry Huxley (1872). “Lay Sermons, Addresses, and Reviews”, p.101

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Nothing great in science has ever been done by men, whatever their powers, in whom the divine afflatus of the truth-seeker was wanting.

Thomas Huxley

Truth, Men, Done

Thomas Henry Huxley (2011). “Collected Essays”, p.56, Cambridge University Press

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As I have already urged, the practice of that which is ethically best - what we call goodness or virtue - involves a course of conduct which, in all respects, is opposed to that which leads to success in the cosmic struggle for existence. In place of ruthless selfassertion it demands self-restraint; in place of thrusting aside, or treading down, all competitors, it requires that the individual shall not merely respect , but shall help his fellows. It repudiates the gladiatorial theory of existence. Laws and moral precepts are directed to the end of curbing the cosmic process.

Thomas Huxley

Struggle, Science, Self

"Evolution And Ethics".

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Science reckons many prophets, but there is not even a promise of a Messiah.

Thomas Huxley

Promise, Prophet, Messiah

Thomas Henry Huxley, Henrietta A. Huxley (1908). “Aphorisms and reflections”

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Born: May 4, 1825
Died: June 29, 1895
Occupation: Biologist
Cite this Page: Citation

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