The Influence Of Writers On Charles Darwin Essays - Charles Darwin

The Influence Of Writers On Charles Darwin The theory of Evolution as presented by Charles Darwin has had a great impact on the world today. It has caused many debates between religious authorities and those from the scientific community. This theory had prompted individuals to think about themselves, their origins and it has changed the way in which they view themselves in the environment. However, Darwin was not the first person to write on evolution. There were many others before him such as Lamarck, Buffon, and Darwin's grandfather Erasmus Darwin. However, what distinguishes Charles Darwin from the others is the fact that he collected and provided substantial proofs and he related various branches of science such as geology, botany and biology which helped validate his theories. His theory of natural selection as stated by Nelson and Jurmain (1991, p.606) in the modern form is that "the evolutionary factor causes changes in allele frequencies in populations due to differential net reproductive success of individuals." His grasp of the evolutionary process and the clarity of his work makes Charles Darwin the most popular figure in the scientific field of Evolution (Francoeur, 1965, p.34). Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was the fourth child of Dr. Robert Darwin and grandson of Erasmus Darwin. Much of Charles' childhood was spent collecting insects, coins and reading various literature on natural history, travel and poetry. Charles Darwin was not a scholarly student during his years at Edinburgh Medical College. He disliked what was taught and found most of the lectures boring, yet he developed a natural interest in studying rocks and fossils. He convinced his father that he could not be a doctor as his father had wished, so instead Charles Darwin studied Theology at the University of Cambridge. After his studies he was given the opportunity to travel on the H.M.S. Beagle as a naturalist. Darwin took this opportunity and it is this voyage that propelled him to begin his work on evolution. During his research, Darwin read several references which greatly influenced his own writings. Although there were many factors which affected Darwin's theories this paper will discuss how Darwin was influenced by the beliefs of William Paley, Erasmus Darwin, Thomas Malthus and Charles Lyell. Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) was a well renowned doctor, poet and philosopher who wrote many books concerning nature. Among his works Zoonomia, a medical textbook, has received the most attention. In this work Erasmus Darwin expressed such ideas as "evolution by natural and sexual selection, protective adaptation, inheritance of acquired characteristics, and even the evolution of mankind" almost fifty years before Charles Darwin (Nelson Erasmus Darwin had said that all different living things were produced over millions of years by one original ancient parent, such that each offspring had a natural tendency to improve itself (Karp, 1968, p.14). However, fossil records show that this theory of one original parent was not probable (Karp, 1968, p.14). His opposition toward any form of organized religion and his rejection of Christianity was considered to be superficial and eccentric (Chancellor, 1973, p.21). His tendency to theorize and create wild speculations without testing his theories caused his reputation as a scientist to suffer. By the end of the 18th century all discussions of evolution were suppressed because of the rigid creationist views held by the Church who persecuted anyone who challenged their beliefs (Chancellor, 1973, p.41). It was not until the publication of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species that the discussion of evolution was revived. Being well renowned, Erasmus' work was discussed in his family circle thus exposing Charles to the work of his grandfather early on in his life. Moreover, Charles Darwin having interest in poetry and philosophy was naturally inclined to study the work of his grandfather. Although Erasmus did not solve the problem of the process of evolution, the reading and exposure of his work made it easier for Charles Darwin to approach the topic and see it in a different perspective from Erasmus (Karp, 1968, p.17). In his early days at Cambridge University, Darwin was heavily interested in the works of William Paley (1743-1805) a famous theologist in his time. Paley's works which include Evidences of Christianity and Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy were required reading at the university. However, Darwin was most impressed by Natural Theology at the time. In this paper Paley examined the mechanism of the earth, its creatures, the complexity of their adaptations, their effective use of natural resources and their successful defence against nature. Paley also argued the inevitability of a Creator: "Design must have a designer. That designer must