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← The School of Life12. Sept. · 6 Min.

LITERATURE - Charles Darwin

LITERATURE - Charles Darwin12. Sept.6 Min.

Darwin liked to say he had thought of calling his book “the Ascent of Man” - but that that would suggest some idea of progress. Rather what he wanted to do was show that despite the obvious technical advances of past centuries modern people were still at the same moral level, or perhaps slightly worse, than their remote ancestors.

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FURTHER READING

You can read more on this and other subjects here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/charles-darwin-and-the-descent-of-man/

"It is completely understandable that we are often maddened by what might be called ‘normal’ humanity. The way in which emotion so regularly triumphs over careful reasoning; the power of group loyalty, even when the group doesn’t seem to deserve much devotion; the vast mechanisms of status-seeking that drive so much excess consumption; widespread selfishness and indifference to the greater needs of more distant others. And we can find ourselves — in the privacy of our heads, or in the occasional late-night outburst — railing against the fools and idiots who (so unfortunately) seem to occupy so many of the prominent places of power, wealth and influence..."

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