Alexander von Humboldt

Biology German 1769 – 1859 380 quotes

Father of ecology and biogeography

Quotes by Alexander von Humboldt

The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world.

Attributed

In this great chain of causes and effects, no single fact can be considered in isolation.

Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe 1845

Nature is a living whole, and not a dead aggregate of parts.

Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe 1845

The finest and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.

Attributed

The great object of my present enterprise is to investigate the causes of the decline of the fertility of the earth.

Letter to Joseph Banks 1799

The most important result of my researches is the conviction that the earth is a living organism.

Attributed

Everything is interconnected.

Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe 1845

Nature is a network of connections, a web of life.

Attributed

The highest aim of physical science is to arrive at a knowledge of the unity of nature.

Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe 1845

The contemplation of nature is a source of perennial joy.

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The earth is a great organism, and man is a part of it.

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The study of nature is the study of God.

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The world is a living, breathing entity.

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Nature is a temple in which living pillars sometimes breathe confused words.

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.

Attributed (often misattributed to Einstein, but reflects Humboldt's sentiment)

The unity of nature is the great truth which I have endeavored to unfold.

Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe 1845

Every plant, every animal, every human being, is a part of the great whole.

Attributed

The earth is a living being, and we are its cells.

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The contemplation of nature is a source of inexhaustible delight.

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The more we know, the more we realize how much we don't know.

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