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Early Life
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury to his father Robert in 1809. Robert Darwin was a wealthy surgeon and was able to afford a comfortable childhood for Charles. Charles originally decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and become a doctor but was disturbed by surgery. Charles instead pursued a Bachelors of Arts from Cambridge where he developed an interest in entomology. -
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Voyage on the HMS Beagle
Charles Darwin was given the opportunity to circumnavigate the globe aboard the HMS Beagle. Darwin faced the challenge of being constantly seasick but due to being a scholar was able to leave the ship for extended periods of time to conduct studies. Along his voyage Darwin was exposed to a variety of different animals and fossils across South America that would go on to be the major inspiration for his work. -
On the Origin of Species
After delaying the publishing of his book for years due to fears of religious persecution, Darwin finally released it in 1859. This book is considered Darwin's most important work and draws on his experiences from the HMS Beagle Voyage. In his book Darwin covers the topic of evolution and how species adapt over time to adjust to their environments. Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species. William Collins, 2011. Darwin and Natural Selection -
Death and Legacy
Charles Darwin died in 1882 from heart related complications. His legacy left behind has had an impressive impact made on humanity. Charles Darwin was essential in the development of the theory of evolution, an idea which is more or less regarded as scientific fact today. His core belief was that evolution occurred through the process of natural selection and happened over extended period of time with no interruption. His insights created the new philosophy of science, the Philosophy of Biology. -
References
Mayr, Ernst. “Darwin's Influence on Modern Thought.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2009, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/darwins-influence-on-modern-thought1/. Desmond, Adrian J.. "Charles Darwin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Apr. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin. Accessed 21 November 2021.