Academics
Before Charles Darwin presented his revolutionary insights into the theory of evolution, it was believed that each species came to life individually and maintained its original form. He disputed this and proved that the law of nature was evolution—each living being descended from common ancestors, and used ‘natural selection’ to survive in changing environments. His findings challenged the deeply held belief in divine creation and permanently transformed our understanding of the world. When it was first published in 1859, On the Origin of Species triggered one of the fiercest debates between science and religion in the history of the world, one that still rages on. Today, more than a century and a half after its publication, it continues to exercise a tremendous influence in the fields of philosophy, history, theology and economics. Carries a brilliant, well-argued and informative introduction by Samantak Das of the Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University.Could be counted as the most important book in the field of natural history.Has been the cause of over a century-and-a-half worth of debate and argument between science and Christianity.This edition will be well-packaged and attractively priced, making it easily accessible to students and the curious reader alike.
CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN was born in 1809 in Shrewsbury, England, to a wealthy intellectual family, his grandfather being the famous physician Erasmus Darwin. At Cambridge University he formed a friendship with J. S. Henslow, a professor of botany, and that association, along with his enthusiasm for collecting beetles, led to ?a burning zeal,? as he wrote in his Autobiography, for the natural sciences. When Henslow obtained for him the post of naturalist on H.M.S. Beagle, the course of his life was fixed. The five-year-long voyage to the Southern Hemisphere between 1831 and 1836 would lay the foundation for his ideas about evolution and natural selection. Upon his return Darwin lived in London before retiring to his residence at Down, a secluded village in Kent. For the next forty years he conducted his research there and wrote the works that would change human understanding forever. Knowing of the resistance from the orthodox scientific and religious communities, Darwin published The Origin of Species in 1859 only when another naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, independently reached the same conclusions. His other works include The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871) and Recollections of My Mind and Character, also titled Autobiography (1887). Charles Darwin?s Diary of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle was published posthumously in 1933. Darwin died in 1882; he is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Charles DarwinAdd a review
Login to write a review.
Customer questions & answers