Naturalist and Geologist (1809 – 1882)
Charles Darwin kept silent for 20 years before going public with his theory of evolution and was only half joking when he described writing his book 'On the Origin of Species' as 'like confessing a murder'.
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Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Darwin secured a place at Edinburgh University to study medicine. He did not make a good medic. This was long before anaesthetic, and Darwin found the brutal techniques of surgery too stomach-churning to handle. But there was an upside. Edinburgh was one of the best places in Britain to study science. It attracted free thinkers with radical opinions that would not have been tolerated in Oxford and Cambridge.
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Abandoning plans to be a doctor, Darwin now considered a career in the Church. Aged 18, he went to study Divinity at Cambridge. Though he held fairly conventional beliefs in God, Darwin wasn't particularly keen on this new direction. But training to be a clergyman meant he had plenty of time to pursue his real passion: Biology. He spent much of his time collecting beetles and walking on the Fens. He graduated in 1831 but before he could take a job as a cleric, the chance of a lifetime would come his way.
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Darwin’s tutor at Cambridge recommended him as a ‘gentleman naturalist’ on a voyage around the world on HMS Beagle. Darwin jumped at the chance. Over the following five years, Darwin visited four continents, spending much of his time on land collecting specimens and investigating the local geology. He also had long periods with nothing to do but read and reflect. Books such as Charles Lyell's recently published Principles of Geology had a profound impact, making him think about slow processes which occur over vast periods of time.
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Leaving South America behind, HMS Beagle made a five-week stop at the Galapágos Islands, 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. The Galapágos archipelago is a collection of small volcanic islands, each with a distinct landscape.Contrary to popular belief, Darwin did not have a great eureka moment on the Galapagos. He studied finches, tortoises and mockingbirds there, although not in enough detail to come to any great conclusions. But the steady accumulation of observations was building up.
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Home again, Darwin showed his specimens to fellow biologists and began writing up his travels. A powerful, elegant idea began to emerge in his mind. Darwin saw how transmutation happened. Animals more suited to their environment survive longer and have more young. Evolution occurred by a process he called 'Natural Selection'. Darwin struggled with the idea; it contradicted his Christian world view. His grandfather had been ostracised for writing about transmutation and he feared the same fate. He decided to gather more evidence before going public. In the meantime, he made his name by publishing an account of his travels.
Photo: Conrad Martens • Believed to be in the Public Domain (age - copyright expired)
HMS Beagle
Photo: Wellcome Library • Licensed for reuse under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: John Collier - National Portrait Gallery • Public Domain (age - copyright expired)
By summer 1858, Darwin had written a quarter of a million words on evolution – and published none. Then a letter compelled him to go public. Alfred Russel Wallace was an admirer of Darwin's. Inspired by the Beagle voyage, Wallace set off travelling. He independently arrived at a theory of natural selection and wanted Darwin's advice on how to publish. Darwin realised that if he didn't go public quickly then Wallace would take credit for the new ideas, but Wallace was abroad and uncontactable. This left Darwin in a moral quandary. As well as agonising over whether to speak out, he had to decide how to treat Wallace fairly.
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Darwin finally went public with his ground breaking theory of evolution by natural selection, while making sure that Wallace received some credit. Darwin's ideas were presented to Britain's leading Natural History body, the Linnean Society. After consulting with colleagues, Darwin agreed that extracts from his and Wallace's papers should be presented at the same meeting. Wallace, on his return, accepted that Darwin had treated him fairly.
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Still wracked by doubt, Darwin finally published his new theory of evolution. It would become one of the most important books ever written. Darwin described writing it as like 'living in Hell'. He dreaded losing his reputation. Charles did draw fierce criticism from the Church, and from some parts of the press. Many people were shaken by the book's key implication: that human beings were descended from apes, though Darwin only hinted at it. However, some were now willing to listen to evidence for evolution – especially from a leading figure like Darwin.
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Darwin was reluctant to defend his ideas in public. It was left to others – notably a young biologist named Thomas Huxley – to take up the fight. In the 19th Century, scientific talks were popular entertainment and any debate about evolution was sure to draw crowds. Huxley's most famous clash came at meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. In what many saw as a key battle between science and God, Huxley went head to head with Bishop Samuel Wilberforce and his Biblical account of creation. Both sides claimed victory. The debate has become part of the Darwin legend and shows how his ideas shook Victorian society.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk/timelines • Wikipedia
Images: Believed to be in the Public Domain or used with permission
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