Emergence of Darwin’s evolution theory
Darwin’s theory of evolution is probably one of the most famous and representative of the history of science. The postulates of natural selection, the evolution through the generations and the origin of the species from a common ancestor marked a paradigm that molds many aspects of science, and especially the understanding of the biology of our times. Those discoveries, however, did not "appear out of nowhere".
To understand the emergence of Darwin’s theory, it is necessary to understand the causes that motivated its origin. This text will be focused then on the historical circumstances to understand this emergence. Through the analysis of the historical context in which Darwin lived, the Victorian England of the 18Idela Darwin’s evolution theory is probably one of the most famous and representative of the history of science. The postulates of natural selection, the evolution through the generations and the origin of the species from a common ancestor marked a paradigm that molds many aspects of science, and especially the understanding of the biology of our times. Those discoveries, however, did not "appear out of nowhere".
To understand the emergence of Darwin’s theory, it is necessary to understand the causes that motivated its origin. This text will be focused then on the historical circumstances to understand this emergence. Through the analysis of the historical context in which Darwin lived, the Victorian England of the 18Ideas from other previous scientists Darwin’s theory, he could not have gestated as he did, nor would he have had the importance for the vision of current biology.
As a first measure, to understand Darwin’s theory, the importance of imperialism and industrial revolution will be explained. For the time when Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was born, England was considered one of the great world powers. Its influence and scope (not only in political or economic terms) was of global proportions. This great range of destinations to which the British influence arrived, were undoubtedly used by naturalists such as Darwin to form their theories. Without the great extension of the empire, nor the advantage of having such a large naval fleet, Darwin would probably not have traveled so much, and therefore, observed the animals and cases that served him for his theory. In addition, the development and consolidation of the British Empire in Victorian era (1837 to 1901, a period in which Victoria is the Queen of England) was accompanied by the great changes that the industrial revolution raised.
The creation of machinery that replaced slow and manual work with mass production, in less time and more efficient, produced the establishment of large factories, the passage from rural life to city and mobilization of information, products and people in people ina regional and even international scale. This hard context, also led to an atmosphere of struggle, which would also inspire Darwin in some of his natural selection postulates.
Since the seventeenth century, England had been building its empire plan. His establishment in colonies in northern America were the first steps. Since that time, the English began to show interest in expanding their domain, and being an island, the most important thing should be navigation. Characters like Sir Walter Raleight expose English royalty as relevant to the creation of a strong navy in a need for expansion and domain.
From this naval construction of great proportions, Darwin’s trips and his observations of "natural selection" can be partially understood. The large number of ships produced in England were going to allow navigation, communication, import, export and attack and defense of goods and characters for the globe. This to control the existing colonies, land recognition, or open new doors of commerce and exchange (within the logic of the capitalist system of the Industrial Revolution), as was the case of several countries in America, which, after their independence, they were looking for new business partners and activate their economy, in addition, the scientists and began to take center stage in these vessels, since especially in the second half of the nineteenth century,
In this bet of collaboration between science and imperialism, we can understand why Darwin was allowed to go aboard the Beagle, an English navy ship. Darwin is mounted in this vessel as the "naturalist on board", fulfilling a job for the ship and the imperial intentions, and in the meantime it was allowed to make their observations of the animals in the destinations they visited. Likewise, the collection and analysis of Flora and Fauna also became an interest for the Empire. In 1851, eight years before the species publication of the species, the great exhibition was made, in the Crystal Palace, in London. This imposing glass structure exposed to the public exotic objects from different parts of the world, the latest technology of the time and the impressive English engineering works. This symbol of power of the British empire, shows the scope and greatness of this, led to another symbol of power;Natural history museums. Crystal Palace, in addition to commemorating the industry and exploits of the Empire, contributed the search for economic profits, which in turn facilitated the construction of museums and research places for the development of natural history. These museums sought to collect the greatest amount of animal and plant life, from all over the world, contributing not only to the sample of power by the empires, also to the study of these beings and the formulation of theories, by theNaturalists like Darwin.
The British Empire and the Industrial Revolution are key to understanding Darwin’s theory and its gestation, however, they were not the only relevant historical circumstances. The influence of other scientists such as Lamarck molded to some extent, what Darwin proposed. This French naturalist dealt with issues that relate to Darwin’s theory, and share some characteristics with his English pair. Jean Baptiste Lamarck was a character who also lived in a changing world like Darwin. Both talked about the change that animals could suffer over time, although they had their slight differences. These postulates were made in imperial societies that were undergoing radical changes, and, although they suffered criticism from believers in the static vision of the world,
Although he had its criticism, the changing society accepted a theory that proposed a change in the way of understanding the world, a "paradigm change" . In the case of Lamarck it was similar in France. Although his proposal was more radical than Darwin’s, as longRadical to Gestada in England. However, both theories obey the influences of their context, a changing society framed in the fight;One for overthrowing monarchical power to generate a change, and the other for the struggle to seek a better life in the city full of obstacles in the working life of the factories. However, Darwin was accepted "greater ease" than Lamarck, since his theories were not as radical as those of his French pair. It could be said that Darwin was "in the middle" among those who believed in God, and Lamarck’s proposals.
Both saw how the societies in which they lived were transformed, however, Lamarck could be said in a way, "change to the passage of the revolution". With this, I refer to a change in its status within society, unlike Darwin. The French Revolution showed a great change in the status cuo, with events that marked a milestone, such as the death of Louis XVI, which influenced a change in society. Lamarck himself also had a change in his life, going from a French army soldier to a recognized naturalist, and this was reflected in his theory, while organisms can change in life. Lamarck was an example of this "change in life", since he could promote socially to enter the community of naturalists in France. This group of people were responsible for ruling the accepted paradigms, or the "normal science" of the moment, since "it is preached assuming that the scientific community knows what the world is like.”(Kuhn, 1962). The vast majority of the members of the scientific community of the time were "white, European, and aristocrats". Lamarck, unlike Darwin, was not a character who came from a well -off family;aristocrat. However, he managed to enter this community as did Darwin, and for this reason, his theories could legitimize in the knowledge of science.
In short, to understand the theory of evolution proposed by Darwin, it is necessary to understand certain historical circumstances. Imperialism, provided the media and routes that Darwin used to collect the data for the formulation of his theory, in addition to promoting scientific development in England. The industrial revolution inspired Darwin with the struggle conditions that were generated in their society, and promoted the empire to increase their relations with other countries, and increase maritime routes. The ideas of other scientists helped to "more easily validate" Darwin’s proposals, and show their relationship in a changing context.
Bibliography
- Reidy, m. S. (2008). Tides of History: Ocean Science and Her Majesty’s Navy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Andréolle, d. S., Vandamme, c., & Delmas, C. (2010). Science and Empire in The Nineteenth Century: A Journey of Imperial Conquest and Scientific Progress. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
- Darwin, j. (2009). The Empire Project: The Rise and Fall of the British World-System, 1830–1970. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
- Brocklehurst, r. et al. (2008). The Usborne History of Britain. London, UK: Usborne Publishing Ltd.
- Kuhn, t. (1962). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Leave feedback