Download There are few great thinkers that have left a truly fundamen

There are few great thinkers that have left a truly fundamental and astounding impact on the world,
and Charles Darwin is one of them. Darwin was born in 1809 and until around 1830 he planned to becom
e a clergyman of the Church of England. While at the University of Cambridge, as he was preparing to
become a clergyman, he met Adam Sedgwick, a geologist, and John Stevens Henslow, a naturalist. Both
of these associates sparked Darwin's first interest in the sciences. In 1831 Darwin boarded the Eng
lish ship HMS Beagle to be an unpaid naturalist on a scientific expedition that would go around the
world. It was on this journey that the first sparks of Darwin's revolutionary idea were lit. Darwin'
s influence on the world was vast and his concepts included exemplified applied rational thinking to
the natural world resulting in his groundbreaking theory of evolution and natural selection. In a l
arger sense he opened people's horizons and stimulated a new way of thinking without the compulsion
to integrate beliefs into their observations of the natural world.
On Darwin's journey aboard the B
eagle he observed different living organisms and fossils that were found on numerous islands and con
tinents. Darwin was struck by how natural forces played a part in shaping the earth's surface. He al
so noticed a variety of different examples that contributed to his theory of evolution, such as the
fact that certain fossils of species thought to be extinct were very similar to organisms that were
currently living. While visiting the Galapagos Islands, Darwin made the observation that played the
most important role in the development of his theory. Each of the numerous islands had animals that
were slightly different from those on the other islands. Although closely related, there were slight
differences such as body structure or eating habits. From this observation, Darwin realized that th
ere could be a connection between distinctive yet similar species. The concept that was accepted at
the time, the catastrophist theory, had many holes, yet instead of exploring the inconsistencies sci
entists accepted them. Darwin provided a new way of thinking when he rationally compared different o
bservations of the natural world to create a sound hypothesis.
Darwin's most widely recognized infl
uence on the world is his theory of evolution. As soon as he returned to England in 1836 he began to
record all of his observations in his Notebooks on the Transmutation of Species. His ideas came tog
ether much better after he read An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus, which dis
cussed how human populations remained in balance. The work stated that the food supply, which increa
sed arithmetically, could not support the the growth of a logarithmically increasing population. Sin
ce the available food supply was inadequate the fittest in population were the most likely to surviv
e. In 1838, after applying this concept to animals and plants, Darwin came up with a theory of evolu
tion through natural selection. This theory states that each species competes against other species
with only those most appropriately adapted to their environments surviving to propagate their popula
tion. Darwin's theory wasn't announced until 1858 and wasn't published until 1859 in On the Origin o
f Species, which sold out on the first day. Darwin's theory was proven to be true in the early 20th
Century with the birth of modern genetics and is widely known and accepted today.
Darwin's theory o
f evolution opened horizons in allowing people to explore a world of thinking unencumbered by religi
ous beliefs, which restricted their ability to see the truth from a forced need to marry religion in
to science. Before Darwin, the most accepted theory of evolution was the catastrophist theory, which
states that species become extinct due to sudden catastrophes. According to this theory Noah's floo
d was the latest disaster that destroyed all species except those on the ark, with fossils being all
that remain of the extinct fauna. This theory was religiously accepted since the concept was backed
up by evidence stated in the Bible. For the most part people felt that it should be accepted withou
t any question because of this. When Darwin's theory was published there was a large amount of intel
lectual resistance because people did not want to go against what they assumed the Bible stated.
Ev
en through the 1920's there was still resistance to Darwin's theory of evolution. A famous example i
s a Tennessee court case, the Scopes Trial of 1925. John Scopes, a high school biology teacher who t
aught evolutionary theory, was accused of violating the Butler Act. This act was a state law forbidd
ing the teaching of the theory of evolution because it went against the story of creation in the Bib
le. This was a landmark trial which highlighted the fact that the theory was forcing people to think
outside their religious confinements. Even so, Scopes did break the law, was found guilty and force
d to pay the one hundred dollar fine. The state supreme court later reversed the verdict, but the Bu
tler Act stayed on the books until 1967. This trial has since been fought out numerous times since S
cope's time and the issue is still being argued about today.
In the later years of his life Darwin
wrote many additional books expanding on his ideas expressed in the Origin. He worked out slight pro
blems he found in his first book in such works as The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestic
ation, The Descent of Man and The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. These books contrib
uted to Darwin's theory becoming a widely accepted concept, more so as people learned to overcome th
eir religious beliefs which commonly restricted their thinking in regard to the natural world. Darwi
n's theory of evolution not only changed the way people thought of the natural world, but his ration
al approach profoundly influenced future scientific endeavors for generations to come.
there great
thinkers that have left truly fundamental astounding impact world charles darwin them darwin born un
til around planned become clergyman church england while university cambridge preparing become clerg
yman adam sedgwick geologist john stevens henslow naturalist both these associates sparked darwin fi
rst interest sciences boarded english ship beagle unpaid naturalist scientific expedition that would
around world this journey that first sparks revolutionary idea were influence world vast concepts i
ncluded exemplified applied rational thinking natural resulting groundbreaking theory evolution natu
ral selection larger sense opened people horizons stimulated thinking without compulsion integrate b
eliefs into their observations natural journey aboard beagle observed different living organisms fos
sils were found numerous islands continents struck forces played part shaping earth surface also not
iced variety different examples contributed theory evolution such fact certain fossils species thoug
ht extinct were very similar organisms currently living while visiting galapagos islands made observ
ation played most important role development theory each numerous islands animals slightly different
from those other although closely related there slight differences such body structure eating habit
s from this observation realized there could connection between distinctive similar species concept
accepted time catastrophist many holes instead exploring inconsistencies scientists accepted them pr
ovided thinking when rationally compared observations create sound hypothesis most widely recognized
influence evolution soon returned england began record observations notebooks transmutation species
ideas came together much better after read essay principle population thomas malthus which discusse
d human populations remained balance work stated food supply which increased arithmetically could su
pport growth logarithmically increasing population since available food supply inadequate fittest po
pulation most likely survive after applying this concept animals plants came with through selection
states each competes against other with only those appropriately adapted their environments survivin
g propagate their wasn announced until wasn published until origin which sold first proven true earl
y century with birth modern genetics widely known accepted today opened horizons allowing people exp
lore unencumbered religious beliefs restricted ability truth from forced need marry religion into sc
ience before catastrophist states become extinct sudden catastrophes according noah flood latest dis
aster destroyed except those fossils being remain extinct fauna religiously since concept backed evi
dence stated bible part people felt should without question because when published large amount inte
llectual resistance because want against what they assumed bible stated even through still resistanc
e famous example tennessee court case scopes trial john scopes high school biology teacher taught ev
olutionary accused violating butler state forbidding teaching because went against story creation bi
ble landmark trial highlighted fact forcing think outside religious confinements even scopes break f
ound guilty forced hundred dollar fine state supreme court later reversed verdict butler stayed book
s trial since been fought numerous times scope time issue still being argued about today later years
life wrote many additional books expanding ideas expressed origin worked slight problems found book
such works variation animals plants under domestication descent expression emotions these books con
tributed becoming widely more learned overcome religious beliefs commonly restricted regard only cha
nged thought rational approach profoundly influenced future scientific endeavors generations comeEss
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