Charles Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) and His Contributions to the Philosophy of Science
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Early Life and Education
Charles Darwin could be considered a jack of all trades; a biologist, a naturalist, geologist, and a great philosophical mind. His mother died when he was only eight years old (Thomson, 2009). His father was a doctor of medicine, and send Darwin off the college to follow in his footsteps. Darwin had other plans, however, and neglected medical studies. His father sent him off to become a county parson, yet he sought out an ordinary degree as he was very interested in naturalism (Shwartz, 2008). -
The Voyage of the Beagle
In 1831, Charles Darwin began a round-the-world trip as a naturalist gentlemen with the Royal Navy. He made observations and collected geological data during this trip until 1836. Charles Darwin was oddly only a scientific novice at the time, having collected beetles as a child and only collecting samples for expert review. He took constant notes despite his sea-sickness, and his most significant observations were on the Galapagos Islands. [Link text]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRmzmYmMTKk -
"The Voyage of the Beagle" (Darwin, 2016)
In 1839, Darwin completed "The Voyage of the Beagle" underlying many concepts discovered from his journey that are widely recognized today. This includes fossils from extinct animals, and insects and birds with different characteristics suited to their environment. In the Galapagos islands, he took note of unique mockingbirds and hints at a "centre of creation". Here, he suggests idea of natural selection and evolution, yet he did not go into further depth until "The Origin of Species." -
Drafting "On The Origin of Species"
At this time in history, the belief that a god was the creator of all beings was still widely accepted and embraced as a hard reality. In order for Charles Darwin to shift this paradigm that all beings were fixed by a devine creator, it was necessary to gather sufficient enough evidence regarding natural selection and evolution such that it was nearly unreasonable to deny it. Historical evidence suggests that his book was contemplated for up to 20 years before its release and drafted for 15. -
"On The Origin of Species" (Darwin, 2018)
The release of this book caused an paradigm shift in the world of science. All evidence collected thus far supports the theory of evolution and natural selection. "On The Origin of Species" does not go into great depth regarding human evolution, but it does strongly suggest a correlation to a common ancestor, and changed the way the existence of organisms and their functional biology were perceived. Organisms were more likely to reproduce if they were most "fit"/suited to their environment. -
"The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex" (Darwin, 1901)
Darwin's evolutionary theory is applied to human evolution, and interconnects the idea of natural selection to sexual selection. He referred to baboons, dogs, and "savages" (barbaric-acting humans) to analyze natural selection in a civilized society. Humans have evolved to be empathic and contribute to human survival, yet helping the weak survive may enable them to reproduce. He contributed to the ideas of modern social Darwinism and eugenics by outlining ideas of physical and mental evolution. -
"The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" (Darwin, 1872)
Darwin not only founded the theory of evolution, he also interpreted the emotions of humans and animals, particularly mammals such as dogs and cats, as well as birds. One suggestion he makes is that men and mammals are particularly similar in expressing certain emotions. Some of these studied emotions include the expression of anger, fear, shyness, and affection. Emotions and the way that they are expressed can be attributed to survival and reproduction, and may also vary with location. -
Works Cited
Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species . First Avenue Editions, a
Division of Lerner Publishing Group, 2018. Darwin, Charles. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and
Animals. John Murray, 1872. Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to
Sex. New ed. / with illustrations., J. Murray, 1901. Darwin, Charles. The Voyage of the Beagle, Open Road Media,
2016. ProQuest Ebook Central,
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/detail.action?
docID=4499600. -
Works Cited
Schwartz, Douglas. An Evolving Genius: The Extraordinary Early Life
of Charles Darwin. 2008, doi:10.5479/10088/22433. Thomson, Keith. “The Young Charles Darwin.” The Young Charles
Darwin, Yale University Press, 2009.
