Charles Darwin
Intellectual
By William Lam
Charles Darwin, born on February 12, 1809, was an intellectual thinker who focused on the natural sciences. Growing up, Darwin had always been fascinated by nature and often engaged in activities such as fishing, hunting, and collecting insects. At the age of 16, Darwin attended University of Edinburgh to study medicine, but eventually dropped out and decided to enroll at Cambridge University to become a clergyman. After receiving his B.A. degree at Cambridge University, Darwin set sail with Reverend John Henslow on the HMS Beagle, hoping to discover new species of plants and animals inhabiting the South American coastline. During his visit to the Galapagos Islands, Darwin was originally fooled by his observations because he “believed that the tortoises and mockingbirds were probably only varieties, a conclusion that did not threaten creationism, which allowed for animals to differ slightly in response to their environments” (Sulloway, 2005). After returning from this journey, Darwin carefully analyzed the collected specimens and noticed a correlation between changing environments and the origin of new species. This prompted Darwin to conclude that species evolve by means of natural selection--- “organisms that are most suited to their environment will be more likely to survive over their competition, improving the species over time” (Holmdel, 2005). In addition to natural selection being the driving mechanism for evolution, Darwin also proposed that all life on Earth was unified through descent with modification--- organisms are related by a common ancestor that lived in the remote past.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/darwin.html
http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/223606/Darwinism-The-Most-Important-Contribution-of-the-Victorian-Era/
Charles Darwin, born on February 12, 1809, was an intellectual thinker who focused on the natural sciences. Growing up, Darwin had always been fascinated by nature and often engaged in activities such as fishing, hunting, and collecting insects. At the age of 16, Darwin attended University of Edinburgh to study medicine, but eventually dropped out and decided to enroll at Cambridge University to become a clergyman. After receiving his B.A. degree at Cambridge University, Darwin set sail with Reverend John Henslow on the HMS Beagle, hoping to discover new species of plants and animals inhabiting the South American coastline. During his visit to the Galapagos Islands, Darwin was originally fooled by his observations because he “believed that the tortoises and mockingbirds were probably only varieties, a conclusion that did not threaten creationism, which allowed for animals to differ slightly in response to their environments” (Sulloway, 2005). After returning from this journey, Darwin carefully analyzed the collected specimens and noticed a correlation between changing environments and the origin of new species. This prompted Darwin to conclude that species evolve by means of natural selection--- “organisms that are most suited to their environment will be more likely to survive over their competition, improving the species over time” (Holmdel, 2005). In addition to natural selection being the driving mechanism for evolution, Darwin also proposed that all life on Earth was unified through descent with modification--- organisms are related by a common ancestor that lived in the remote past.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/darwin.html
http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/223606/Darwinism-The-Most-Important-Contribution-of-the-Victorian-Era/
Philosophical
By Benjamin Lin
During the Victorian era, the time period which Darwin lived in, leading scientists,conservative theologians, and philosophers strongly believed in creationism, an idea emphasizing that God had designed everything on Earth to be perfect and unchanging. However, this idea of creationism contrasted sharply with Darwin’s ideas about evolution. Boldness is a characteristic that is sorely missed in society today. As children, we are taught to do what we believe in, however in reality, people are content with being mere pawns – reduced to unskilled labor. In fact, today we live in an amazingly structured society; our tasks are planned day to day, hour to hour, and sometimes minute to minute. We may not know the consequences of deviation from this plan; however, regardless, we fail to even try to deviate. Darwin, in his early years, was taught “The obvious truths of 1809…” (Gopnik, 2009), now, proved by him, to be as useless as the vestigial organs that permeates our body today – nothing more than a faint reminder of what use to be. To stand up against the truth was in fact a dangerous deed, one that is comparable to treason in the times of 1809. But did the knowledge of the consequences faze him? Darwin was ridiculed and excommunicated by what was then the government, the church whose “clergymen accused scientists of impudence” (Diniejko, 2009); but did that stop him from his belief “that objective knowledge about human history and the human condition, who we are and how we got here, exists” (Gopnik, 2009)? Many preach the idea of following one’s belief, but is there any
who demonstrate this in the face of dire consequences better than Darwin?
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Darwin-Lincoln-Twin-Peaks.html
http://www.victorianweb.org/science/darwin/diniejko.html
During the Victorian era, the time period which Darwin lived in, leading scientists,conservative theologians, and philosophers strongly believed in creationism, an idea emphasizing that God had designed everything on Earth to be perfect and unchanging. However, this idea of creationism contrasted sharply with Darwin’s ideas about evolution. Boldness is a characteristic that is sorely missed in society today. As children, we are taught to do what we believe in, however in reality, people are content with being mere pawns – reduced to unskilled labor. In fact, today we live in an amazingly structured society; our tasks are planned day to day, hour to hour, and sometimes minute to minute. We may not know the consequences of deviation from this plan; however, regardless, we fail to even try to deviate. Darwin, in his early years, was taught “The obvious truths of 1809…” (Gopnik, 2009), now, proved by him, to be as useless as the vestigial organs that permeates our body today – nothing more than a faint reminder of what use to be. To stand up against the truth was in fact a dangerous deed, one that is comparable to treason in the times of 1809. But did the knowledge of the consequences faze him? Darwin was ridiculed and excommunicated by what was then the government, the church whose “clergymen accused scientists of impudence” (Diniejko, 2009); but did that stop him from his belief “that objective knowledge about human history and the human condition, who we are and how we got here, exists” (Gopnik, 2009)? Many preach the idea of following one’s belief, but is there any
who demonstrate this in the face of dire consequences better than Darwin?
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Darwin-Lincoln-Twin-Peaks.html
http://www.victorianweb.org/science/darwin/diniejko.html