Charles Darwin

Family and Early Life Born in the midlands to an industrial family Maternal grandfather (Elijah Wedgewood, of Wedgewood Pottery) Paternal grandfather – Erasmus Darwin, a Physician circa the French Revolution

A political radical, non-religious family Therefore one can understand his attempt to derive the Origin of Species without reference to God Belonged to 2 intellectual organizations ◦ The Lunar Society and the Oyster Club ◦ Believed that the world was not created by God but was the result of volcanic eruptions Catastrophics

The Darwin’s were materialistic industrialists who felt that industrialists would rule the world Charles’s mother died when he was 6 Sent to University of Edinburgh medical school, but quit because he was more interested in nature then medicine Sent to Cambridge to become an Anglican minister ◦ Spent 3 years shooting and living the life of the country gentleman ◦ His fathers comments: ◦ “he cares for nothing but shooting, dogs, and rat catching” ◦ “messing up the house with his everlasting rubbish”

Biology Interested only in biology and botany – A Naturalist Was stimulated by Malthus’ ideas on the competitive struggle for existence He longed to do original research in the tropics An instructor realized that Darwin was wasting his time studying theology ◦ Arranged that Darwin serve as the naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle

HMS Beagle Voyage Captained by Robert Fitzroy, the Beagle was scheduled for a 2 year mapmaking voyage Darwin and Fitzroy polar opposites but got along. Darwin a catastrophist, Fitzroy believed in Diluvialism (denied fossil record, world history is what bible said) Never ending arguments over fossils found in the mountains Their arguments served as a microcosm of what Darwin would face after Origin was published

Darwin known as “The Fly Catcher” by the crew, he collected plants, insects, animals, fossils, et al. Galapagos Islands (Equa dor): 14 species of finches, different sizes, different bills, WHY? Mice on one side of the Andes are different from mice on the other side? WHY?

After returning home he spent years researching and corresponding with leading naturalists Survival of the Fittest ◦ Species evolve from earlier species ◦ This is determined or controlled by Natural Selection ◦ The plants and animals that adapt through positive mutation to its surrounding are the ones likely to survive and reproduce their kind

Origin of Species After concluding his research he decided to publish his findings The publishing of The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life in 1859 had a profound and lasting effect on man’s view of his place on the earth

What about Humans? Monkey Theory - man descended from Apes (not actually correct, because apes also evolved, we evolved from a common primate) created a storm of controversy, from all areas of society This controversy would continue for years: The Scopes “Monkey Trial” – 1925 in Tennessee, evolution is still a flashpoint in the Bible Belt

Impact Darwin’s ideas had tremendous impact: ◦ Society – social Darwinism – Karl Marx ◦ Politics – political Darwinism – Bismarck and Realpolitick ◦ Economics ◦ Imperialism