Carl Linnaeus

Human beings, having, above all creatures, received the power of reason... need to be aware where nature is unaware. Nature reaches its culmination in humans, but human consciousness has not its essence in itself or nature.

— Carl Linnaeus

Nature does not make any leaps. All plants show an affinity with those around them, according to their geographical location.

— Carl Linnaeus

If the names are unknown knowledge of the things also perishes.

— Carl Linnaeus

The observer of nature see, with admiration, that "the whole world is full of the glory of God."

— Carl Linnaeus

We say there are as many genera as there are similarly constituted fructifications of different natural species.

— Carl Linnaeus

The principle being accepted that all Species of one Genus have arisen from one mother through different fathers, it must be assumed

— Carl Linnaeus

As a natural historian according to the principles of science, up to the present time I have been not been able to discover any character by which man can be distinguished from the ape; for there are somewhere apes which are less hairy than man, erect in position, going just like him on two feet, and recalling the human species by the use they make of their hands and feet, to such an extent, that the less educated travellers have given them out as a kind of man.

— Carl Linnaeus

I demand of you, and of the whole world, that you show me a generic character—one that is according to generally accepted principles of classification, by which to distinguish between Man and Ape. I myself most assuredly know of none. ...But, if I had called man an ape, or vice versa, I should have fallen under the ban of all the ecclesiastics. It may be that as a naturalist I ought to have done so.

— Carl Linnaeus

The Earth's Creation is the glory of God, as seen from the works of Nature by Man alone.

— Carl Linnaeus

Great is our God, and great is His power, and his strength is immeasurable

— Carl Linnaeus

From my youth you have taught me, O God, and now I would like to proclaim Your Wonders

— Carl Linnaeus

Your works are wonderful, O Lord! In the multitude of Thy virtues you measure those who despise you.

— Carl Linnaeus

God infinite, omniscient and omnipotent, woke me up and I was amazed! I have read some clues through His created things, in all of which, is His will; even in the smallest things, and the most minute! How much wisdom! What an inscrutable perfection!

— Carl Linnaeus

Every genus is natural, created as such in the beginning, hence not to be rashly split up or stuck together by whim or according to anyone's theory.

— Carl Linnaeus

Everything persecutes him; all things go against the guilty. No calamity by itself. Everything went badly with me, when I harboured revenge, but [I] changed, and left everything in God's hands: since then all happily.

— Carl Linnaeus

Theologically, man is to be understood as the final purpose of the creation; placed on the globe as the masterpiece of the works of Omnipotence, contemplating the world by virtue of sapient reason, forming conclusions by means of his senses, it is in His works that man recognizes the almighty Creator, the all-knowing, immeasurable and eternal God, learning to live morally under His rule, convinced of the complete justice of His Nemesis.

— Carl Linnaeus

Over the door of his room he caused this sentence to be inscribed: "lnnocuex vivito--- Numen Adest!" He always entertained veneration and admiration for his Creator, and endeavoured to trace his science to its Author. "Tu decus omne tuis, postquam te fata tulere." (Virgilio)

— Carl Linnaeus