Geology is rapidly taking its place as an introduction to the higher history of man. If the author has sought to exalt a favorite science, it has been with the desire that man—in whom geological history had its consummation, the prophecies of the successive ages their fulfilment—might better comprehend his own nobility and the true purpose of his existence.
James D. Dana in: Geology: Treating Of The Principles Of The Science With Special Reference To American Geological History, For The Use Of Colleges, Academies, And Schools Of Science., Theodore Bliss & Co., London: Trubner A Co., 1863, in Preface p. ix.