Alexander von Humboldt

Biology German 1769 – 1859 380 quotes

Father of ecology and biogeography

Quotes by Alexander von Humboldt

The contemplation of nature can raise the mind to the highest states of ecstasy.

Personal Narrative 1799

Plants are the silent witnesses of the earth's history.

Essay on the Geography of Plants 1817

Every organism is a unity in multiplicity.

Cosmos 1845

The study of nature reveals the infinite in the finite.

Letter 1830

In the vast regions of the organic world, there is no sudden leap from one form to another.

Personal Narrative 1805

Happiness is found in the harmony with nature.

Letter 1825

The interconnection of all natural phenomena is the key to understanding life.

Cosmos 1845

Botany is the art of observing the silent language of plants.

Essay on the Geography of Plants 1817

Man is only a thread in the vast web of nature.

Cosmos 1850

The tropical forests are the lungs of the earth.

Personal Narrative 1800

Science is the poetry of reality.

Speech 1840

The forces of nature are the ministers of the divine will.

Letter 1830

Observation is the mother of discovery.

Personal Narrative 1799

Life on earth is a symphony of interdependent parts.

Cosmos 1845

The beauty of nature lies in its infinite variety.

Personal Narrative 1805

To understand the whole, one must study the parts in relation.

Essay on the Geography of Plants 1817

Nature's laws are the foundation of all true knowledge.

Cosmos 1850

The migration of birds teaches us the unity of the globe.

Letter 1820

In solitude, nature speaks most clearly.

Personal Narrative 1799

The plant world is a mirror of the earth's conditions.

Essay on the Geography of Plants 1817