Famous Quotes:  Human Nature
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   The quotations below are compiled by David Burns for the use of students and others interested in exploring these topics further.  The inclusion of a quote does not necessarily imply that Mr. Burns agrees with its point of view.

Human Nature

   So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
   And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
   From the Book of Genesis, the creation story that is the first book of the ancient Hebrew Torah, also the first book in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Revised Standard Version, Genesis I:27-28.  The date is uncertain, but the original sources are  placed by some scholars between about 900 B.C. and 700 B.C.

   Not at all similar are the race of the immortal gods and the race of men who walk upon the earth.
   Homer, ancient Greek poet, The Iliad.  The date is uncertain, but is placed by some scholars around 800 B.C.

   Look now how mortals are blaming the gods, for they say that evils come from us, but in fact they themselves have woes beyond their share because of their own follies.
   Homer, ancient Greek poet, The Odyssey.

   Reason is God's crowning gift to man.
   Sophocles, ancient Greek playwright, in Antigone, about. 440 B.C.

   Man is by nature a political animal.
   Aristotle, ancient Greek philosopher, in Politics, around 325 B.C.


 Human Nature

    What a piece of work is a man!  How noble in reason!  how infinite in faculty!  in form, in moving, how express and admirable!  in action how like an angel!  in apprehension how like a god!  the beauty of the world!  the paragon of animals!  And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?  man delights not me; no, nor woman neither, though, by your smiling, you seem to say so.
   Shakespeare, English writer, Hamlet, about 1600.

     What is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary.
   James Madison, in The Federalist (#51), 1788

  The savage in man is never quite eradicated.
   Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 1859

   The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.
   William James, American psychologist (1842 - 1910)

     In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.
   Anne Frank, Holocaust victim, in The Diary of Anne Frank.



  










Copyright Notice

Copyright 2006 by David A. Burns.  All rights reserved.  No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.   Contact:  Fasttrack Civics Project, 6215 Lavell Court, Springfield, VA 22152.

This work is a guide to the Virginia Civics SOL exam, and follows the organization and content of the Virginia Standards of Learning framework for that subject.  Some pages necessarily include phrases or sentences found in the Virginia SOL, which is available online from the Virginia Department of Education.  The author’s copyright extends to this work's original text and graphic content, unique design and layout, and other related material.
                       
Illustrations appearing in this publication are taken from sources in the public domain and from private collections used by permission.  Sources include: the Dover Pictorial Archive, the Library of Congress, The Hart Publishing Co., Corel Corporation and its licensors, Nova Development Corporation and its licensors, and others.  Maps were created or adapted by the author using reference maps from the United States Geological Survey and Cartesia Software.