Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution, outlined in his seminal book On the Origins of Species, challenged Christian beliefs and forever changed the way we view the development of species on Earth. Darwin’s interest in natural history was sparked at the University of Edinburgh, and his theories on evolution were influenced by his work with John Edmonstone, a freed slave who taught him about taxidermy. Darwin’s work continues to have a tremendous influence on modern thought, despite some challenges to his theories. He would have rejected the adaptation of his principles to human society in the form of social Darwinism.
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) is undoubtedly one of the most influential natural historians to have graced our planet. His concepts and theories of evolution forever changed the way many of us view the age of the Earth and the development of species on Earth. His seminal book on evolution, On the Origins of Species published in 1859, was particularly challenging for religious communities in the Western world, since a description of man’s gradual process of evolution was in direct conflict with Christian thought that man was specifically created by God in God’s image. Although evolution and subsequent theories of the evolution of creatures are now taught in most public schools, some still believe that Darwin was completely misled in his explanations . Other large Christian organizations, such as the Catholic Church, have welcomed Darwinian theory.
Darwin’s family can be described as free thinkers. They were practicing Unitarians, even though Darwin was baptized in the Anglican Church. At first Darwin planned to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a doctor, but he found the world of medicine, and especially surgery, too brutal. At the University of Edinburgh, Darwin’s interest in natural history peaked, and an inspiration for his thesis that blacks and whites were far more related than commonly believed to be true was inspired by his work with John Edmonstone, a freed slave who taught Darwin about taxidermy.
Darwin’s father was dissatisfied with his interest in natural history and chose to enroll him at Christ’s College to further his studies which would make him an Anglican clergyman. He was an indifferent student in this research, but he passed the undergraduate education. He never officially took orders as a priest, and instead took a job as a gentleman’s mate on HMS Beagle.
The first voyage of HMS Beagle lasted five years and Darwin spent much of that time collecting fossils and studying existing animal species. His theories on the evolutionary aspects of animals began to coalesce as he studied animals, particularly those of the Galapagos Islands. He noticed that very similar birds differed slightly depending on which island they lived on. His publications on his first observations were well received by some.
As Darwin continued to study the differences between species, he became increasingly convinced that species are influenced by their environment and evolve and change to better survive in new environments. This theory would come to fruition, especially when he read Alfred Russel Wallace’s work on natural selection. The two agreed to publish their findings together in 1859, but Darwin was unwilling to defend his work. The loss of a beloved son and his continuing illness made it difficult for Darwin to appear publicly or defend his views in any way.
Protest at Darwin’s suggestion that humans evolved from apes has often been turned into slogans criticizing his work. Yet a growing number of people supported his theories and did not find them incompatible with religious thought. Darwin continued to study as his health allowed for the last 22 years of his life, continually attracted by the theme of evolution and nature’s ability to transform itself in order to survive in the world. As she studied, he avidly read the debates on his theories. His work outlives him and, with Gregor Mendel’s work on genetics, is the foundation of modern biology.
Social Darwinism, which arose after Darwin’s death, was the adaptation of the principles of evolution to human society. Darwin would have strongly opposed this construction. He has expressed contempt for the slave trade and the conditions of slaves in South America. When social Darwinism was used to argue for the “fittest race,” Darwin would certainly have rejected the theory. His main concern in people selecting mates was that a close relationship could create problems in the offspring. His wife was his cousin, and she wrote of his concerns after the death of their infant son, that perhaps their close relationship had created ill health or poor survival skills for his offspring. However, of his ten children, eight survived.
Darwin’s work continues to have a tremendous influence on modern thought, even as some of his theories about how evolution works have been challenged. In particular, Stephen Jay Gould’s theories of leapfrog evolution now often replace the idea that evolution is a gradual and selective process.
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