Emerson argues that civilisation should not be judged only by population, urban growth or agricultural output. These measures may show material development, but they do not reveal the quality of the people a society helps to form. His preferred test is therefore human character: the values, abilities and conduct encouraged by a country’s institutions and culture.

Within Civilization, the quotation reflects Emerson’s broader distinction between material progress and moral or personal development. A society may become richer, larger or more technologically advanced without necessarily producing wiser, more responsible or more capable citizens. His language reflects the conventions of the 19th century in referring to “man”, but the underlying argument concerns people generally. The statement proposes that social progress should be assessed partly by its effects on human character, not by quantitative measures alone.