It is true that the book (Origin of Species) forever changed the narrative of science. The book was successfully published on November 24, 1859. Thanks to Darwin’s Origin of Species, people now hold diverse views regarding the origin of life.
However, to this day, many religious people have refused to accept Darwin’s origin of species.
What was Darwin’s Argument?
According to Darwin’s view of natural selection, different organisms within a certain environment vary in their genetic makeups. Darwin further posited that organisms possessing a genetic variation that suited the environment most were the ones that survived and had more descendants than their counterparts.
The organisms with the most suitable genetic variations had their genetic makeup influenced by the environment in question. That was the summary of Darwin’s on the Origin of Species. As at the time, Darwin’s theory was not a universal theory.
What was Darwin’s Motivation?
Evolution was not totally new prior to the publication of Darwin’s “Natural Selection.” Darwin built upon the foundational ideas of Jean Baptiste de Lamarck, a French naturalist, and Thomas Malthus, an English economist.
Darwin amassed a substantial body of evidence to support his theory during a momentous five-year survey expedition in the 1830s. Darwin was able to collect the bulk of the evidence he used for establishing his theory when he embarked on a 5-year survey expedition in the 1830s.
On the said expedition, Darwin had the opportunity of visiting several sites in different regions. He was able to gather a lot of data in the process which helped in proposing the theory.
Was Darwin the First Person to Propose Organic Evolution?
As we have accurately established, other scientists and researchers have worked on the idea of organic evolution before Darwin. The concept of organic evolution was earlier suggested by Erasmus Darwin (Darwin’s grandfather) and Lamarck who was the first person to represent the theory in an evolution diagram.
According to the diagram, man evolved from a single-celled organism. That said, Darwin’s theory was different from the others because he was the first person to present organic evolution using a practical explanation.
Darwin Started His Research When?
Most people seem to assume that the first time Darwin thought about his Natural Selection theory was the same year the publication was made. However, that is incorrect as he began the formulation of theory in 1844.
While Darwin cooked up his theory of natural selection in 1844, he was reluctant to make it public because it was not in tandem with the church’s view. The account of the Bible regarding creation is quite different from what Darwin was about to propose.
In 1858, something remarkable happened – Alfred Russel Wallace made a publication that summarized what Darwin had in mind about organic evolution. This was one of the things that encouraged Darwin to continue with his plans and make his findings public.
Consequently, Wallace and Darwin were privileged to deliver a lecture to the Linnean Society of London in 1958. The joint presentation by both naturalists helped in necessitating the groundwork for the actual publication of the On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
The Publication of the Origin of Species
On November 24, 1859, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection” was finally released. The Origin of Species sold more copies than one would have imagined.
With the practical explanation of organic evolution put forward by Darwin, many scientists were quick to embrace the theory. The theory was helpful to many scientists. In other words, it aligned with the suspicions they had about the origin of man, which was contrary to the Bible’s account.
In stark contrast, orthodox Christians vehemently rejected Darwin’s theory of organic evolution, deeming it heretical due to its stark deviation from biblical teachings. The difference between Darwin’s theory and the Church deepened after he published the book “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex” in 1871.
The controversy surrounding Darwin’s theory of evolution only grew bigger with Darwin claiming that men evolved from apes.
Darwin’s Theory Grew Stronger
In 1882, 23 years following the groundbreaking publication of “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection,” Charles Darwin passed away. His theory faced stiff opposition and criticisms as time developed, contributing to the universally accepted status of the theory.
Darwin’s burial at Westminster Abbey signified the high regard in which his theory was held. Westminster Abbey was traditionally reserved for the burial of kings, queens, and other distinguished figures in England.
Darwin’s theory was able to grow stronger and gain more acceptance because several revisions were possible due to developments in molecular biology and genetics. However, while the organic evolution theory got modified, Darwin’s concept remained central to the new universally accepted theory. This was how Darwin wrote his name in the book of British history.
The book (On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection) was published in 1859. However, as evident from this exposition, Darwin had likely been pondering this concept well before its publication. Various sources indicate that Darwin developed on the ideas of other scientists.
Among devout Christians, Charles Darwin’s theory of organic evolution remains a subject of vehement opposition. Many view his theory as heretical and in direct contradiction to the biblical account. Nevertheless, despite initial resistance within the scientific community, Darwin’s theory gradually gained universal acceptance by the time of his passing. Darwin has left the legacy of a lifetime through his role in the organic evolution’ theory.
