Alfred Russel Wallace
Independently conceived the theory of evolution by natural selection and made significant contributions to biogeography.
Most quoted
"The action of this principle is exactly like that of the centrifugal governor of the steam engine, which checks and corrects any irregularities almost before they become evident; and in like manner no unbalanced deficiency in the animal kingdom can ever have continued to exist."
— from Letter to Charles Darwin, 1858
"The great superiority of the human intellect over that of the lower animals, and the fact that this superiority is not required by the conditions of savage life, seem to me to be an insuperable difficulty in the way of the theory of natural selection."
— from Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection
"The general result of the study of the fossil remains of the extinct mammalia is to show that the forms most nearly allied to those now living were the latest, and that the more ancient forms differ more and more widely from the existing types."
— from Island Life, 1880
All quotes by Alfred Russel Wallace (406)
The evidence for spiritualism is overwhelming, and cannot be ignored by any candid inquirer.
The phenomena of spiritualism are as much facts as any other facts of nature.
The scientific world has been too hasty in rejecting spiritualism without due investigation.
Vaccination is a gigantic delusion, a medical superstition, and a national crime.
The whole system of vaccination is founded on error, and is a disgrace to the medical profession.
The only true remedy for disease is a healthy life, and not the introduction of disease into the system.
Land nationalization is the only just and equitable solution to the problem of poverty.
Private property in land is a fundamental injustice, and the root of most social evils.
The land of a country belongs to the people of that country, and not to a privileged few.
The present system of land tenure is a relic of feudalism, and utterly unsuited to a civilized society.
Socialism, in its true sense, is the only path to a just and prosperous society.
Competition is not the law of nature, but cooperation is.
The whole course of nature shows us that the highest good is attained by the fullest development of all faculties, not by the suppression of any.
The universe is not a dead machine, but a living organism, permeated by mind and spirit.
The true greatness of man consists in his spiritual nature, and not in his material possessions.
The theory of natural selection, as applied to man, fails to account for his higher intellectual and moral faculties.
The existence of beauty in nature, far beyond what is necessary for survival, points to a higher purpose.
The mind of man is not a product of matter, but an independent entity, capable of surviving the death of the body.
The phenomena of mesmerism and hypnotism demonstrate the power of mind over matter.
The scientific method, when applied to spiritual phenomena, will reveal a new realm of knowledge.
Contemporaries of Alfred Russel Wallace
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913).