The Origin of Species

First published on 24 November 1859, The Origin of Species (full title On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life) by British naturalist Charles Darwin is one of the pivotal works in scientific history, and arguably the pre-eminent work in biology. In it, Darwin makes "one long argument" for his theory that "groups" of organisms, (which we now call populations) rather than individual organisms, gradually evolve through the process of natural selection—a mechanism effectively introduced to the public at large by the book. The work presents detailed scientific evidence he had accumulated both on the Voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s and since his return, painstakingly laying out his theory and refuting the doctrine of "Created kinds" underlying the theories of Creation biology which were then widely accepted.

Public reaction

After the publication of Darwin's book, evolution by means of natural selection was widely discussed and debated. As well as attracting attention from naturalists and learned religious people, Huxley's "working-men's lectures" proved very popular and the 6th edition was halved in price, successfully increasing sales to meet this demand.

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The book was highly controversial when first published, as it contradicted the then-prevailing theory of establishment scientists, of immediate, divine design in nature, and conflicted with a literal reading of the biblical creation stories in the Book of Genesis. Though Darwin was supported by some scientists (e.g., T.H. Huxley), others hesitated to accept the theory due to the unexplained ability of individuals to pass their special abilities to their offspring (though Darwin put forth his own theory of heredity—pangenesis—it was unconvincing, and the lack of a coherent mechanism was a difficult aspect of his theory until the re-discovery of the work of Gregor Mendel in the early 20th century). On the whole, however, his greatest accomplishment was to move the idea of evolution into the realm of serious scientific debate.

Related Topics:
Biblical - Creation - Book of Genesis - T.H. Huxley - Pangenesis - Gregor Mendel - 20th century

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In 1874, the theologian Charles Hodge accused Darwin of denying the existence of God by defining humans to be a result of a natural process rather than a creation designed by God. This is an argument that had been made by many almost immediately after Darwin's first publication. Evolution is in complete contradiction with literal readings of many of the legendary or religious stories of how the world's life originated; therefore, those who accepted the theory grew more sceptical of the Bible or other religious sources. As Hodge pointed out, evolution does not seem to originate from a divine source, and some viewed God as a less powerful force in the universe.

Related Topics:
1874 - Charles Hodge - God

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Darwin's theory changed the way humans saw themselves and their world. If one accepted that humans were descended from animals, it became clear that humans also are animals. The natural world took on a darker tinge in the minds of many, as animals in the wild are understood to be in a constant state of deadly competition with one another. The world was also seen in a less permanent fashion; since the world was apparently much different millions of years ago, it dawned on many that the impact of human beings would lessen and perhaps disappear altogether over time.

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From the 1860s up until the 1930s, Darwinian "selectionist" evolution was not universally accepted by scientists, while evolution of some form generally was (a variety of evolutionary theories competed for scientific approval, including neo-Darwinism, neo-Lamarkism, orthogenesis, and mutation theory). In the 1930s, the work of a number of biologists and statisticians (especially R. A. Fisher) created the modern synthesis of evolution, which merged Darwinian selection theory with Mendelian genetics.

Related Topics:
1930s - Orthogenesis - Mutation theory - R. A. Fisher - Modern synthesis

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Today, whilst the overwhelming majority of biologists (over 99%) consider Darwin's basic theory correcthttp://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA111.html, a significant fraction of the general population, particularly in the United States, disagree mainly on religious grounds http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_publi.htm (see creationism).

Related Topics:
United States - Creationism

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