Quote by: George Gaylord Simpson

Man has risen, not fallen. He can choose to develop his capacities as the highest animal and to try to rise still farther, or he can choose otherwise. The choice is his responsibility, and his alone. There is no automatism that will carry him upward without choice or effort and there is no trend solely in the right direction. Evolution has no purpose; man must supply this for himself. The means to gaining right ends involve both organic evolution and human evolution, but human choice as to what are the right ends must be based on human evolution.


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Author Bio


  • NameGeorge Gaylord Simpson
  • DescriptionAmerican paleontologist
  • BornJune 16, 1902
  • DiedOctober 6, 1984
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionCurator; Paleontologist; Zoologist; Autobiographer
  • AwardsGuggenheim Fellowship; List Of Penrose Medal Winners