Science Axis

Scientific revolutions cluster →

Theory of Evolution

1859 CE

Historical illustration: Theory of Evolution
Historical illustration: Theory of Evolution

Charles Darwin publishes 'On the Origin of Species'.

Historical Context

In the mid-19th century, creationism and fixism (species are immutable) predominated. Fossils cast doubt, but the mechanism for species transformation was unknown.

The Event

After his Beagle voyage and decades of thought, Charles Darwin published 'On the Origin of Species' in 1859. He demonstrated that evolution occurs through the blind mechanism of 'natural selection'.

Key Figures

Charles Darwin (naturalist), Alfred Russel Wallace (independent co-discoverer of natural selection), Thomas Huxley ('Darwin's bulldog').

Aftermath

Immediate scientific and cultural shock. The theory destroyed the teleological argument (the divine watchmaker) and redefined the place of humans, no longer a special creation, but an animal among others.

Legacy & Culture

Fundamental pillar of modern biology. Unfortunately, it was also politically misappropriated (Spencer's social Darwinism) to justify imperialism and eugenics.

Historiography

Historiography analyzes how the idea of evolution was 'in the Victorian air' (Malthusian competitive capitalism) and why Wallace's contribution was long marginalized compared to Darwin's.

Sources and References

ARCHIVE

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection

Consulter l'archive officielle ↗
LITERATURE

Stephen Jay Gould, La structure de la théorie de l'évolution

ARCHIVE

Correspondance Darwin-Wallace

Reliability index : ★★★★★

Semantic cluster

Scientific revolutions cluster

Copernicus, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, DNA: knowledge tipping points.

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