This active striving, which has existed in all ages, must frequently, and under various forms, have deluded men into the idea that they had reached the goal, and discovered the principle which could explain all that is variable in the organic world, and all the phenomena revealed to us by sensuous perception.


Translated by E.C. Otte, Cosmos: A Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe (Volume 3), Introduction (p. 8)

Alexander von Humboldt Quotes

This active striving, which has existed in all ages, must frequently, and under various forms, have deluded men into the idea that they had reached...

This active striving, which has existed in all ages, must frequently, and under various forms, have deluded men into the idea that they had reached...

This active striving, which has existed in all ages, must frequently, and under various forms, have deluded men into the idea that they had reached...

This active striving, which has existed in all ages, must frequently, and under various forms, have deluded men into the idea that they had reached...