How Does Charles Darwin's Theory Of Evolution Influence Society
Charles Darwin in his novel, on The Origin of Species, educates the world with one of the greatest scientific findings of the late eighteen hundreds being the theory of natural selection. Darwin's, The Origin of Species has influenced society in many ways; creating a new theory in human society in regards to Social Darwinism, implementing controversial topics on religion and becoming the basis and starting point for the field of biology. This idea is Darwin’s attempt at an explanation on how the planet and its' species developed into what society knows them as today. After many studies and findings, Charles describes how through a process of tens of millions of years, through the effects of humanity and the results of nature, species have had multiple ongoing changes based on recognizable successes and failures. The natural world through great trials has developed beneficial inconsistencies that at times seem too intricate to be the work of a higher being.
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The Origin of Species describes how specific beings will change to fit a particular environment throughout that species existence serving as a starting point of modern biology.
Evolution as stated in Darwin’s novel the decent of man and selection in relation to sex states, “evolution is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits allowing an organism to better adapt to its environment and in turn allowing specific species to survive and have more offspring.” By discovering the theory of evolution, Darwin was able to explain why species gain certain genetic edges over its predators. Allowing the animal to have increased chances of procreation or adaptation. The beneficial variance or change provides the advantage for generations after, the trait then becomes passed on to other animals of the same species in their offspring. Darwin’s idea of evolution within the animal kingdom soon shifted in the direction of human
beings.
The theory of evolution is not limited to inheritable and beneficial variations of a species, but goes into the great discussion of creationism itself. For instance, Darwin often combated intelligent design in his papers and novels regarding biological origins. Darwin describes individual organisms in regards to being “created” from scratch either naturally or divinely. After much research in the field of evolution, Darwin was able to conclude that this unwieldy contrivance would be a very odd way of designing an opposable digit. To support such an argument he states,
“Whether by natural selection or a Lamarckian “need” that expresses itself as an inheritable change, or by a God who likes to tinker with established organisms rather than make new ones from scratch, the conclusion is the same: the Panda’s thumb is a contrivance, and therefore evidence that evolution – modification of an earlier species to form a new one – occurred.”
A panda’s thumb is a complicated structure that no other bear has included in the skeletal structure to serve primarily as a universal joint, used for grasping bamboo. They use this bone in the same way humans use their thumbs, mainly for grasping food. Darwin often criticized religion and the idea of intelligent design to better identify the imperfections in species. The relevance of intelligent design is still a contemporary challenge many educational systems face in America today and will most likely remain controversial for years to come. One of the strongest disputes presented to Charles Darwin is the evolutionary processes used to explain human vision. The formation of such organs of extreme complication through ways of evolution proved to be a challenge for Darwin. In The Origin of Species, Darwin pays particular attention to this question. The eye in Darwin’s mind is an optic nerve that uses a complex series of lenses in order to bend light in such a way that in turn projects such an image onto the optic lens, which in turn, allows the brain to make sense of the image. During Darwin’s life man was incapable of understanding the concept behind the eye. To understand the origin of any organ of extreme perfection Darwin found it necessary to trace the lineage of the animal to a primitive ancestor. As Darwin states in The Origin of Species,
“To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree, but evolution finds a way”
After years of research on the topic of evolution and natural selection, Darwin’s defense of the eye were of such complexity that society could not comprehend the idea that a thing as perfect as the eye has been developed not created. Darwin’s theory of evolution and the eye created a large hole that not only discredited his work, but also lost much credibility in relation to the public and the scientific community due to its complexity. During the late eighteenth century, Darwin with the limited knowledge at hand was able to answer these very difficult questions with nothing but theory and research to back his findings. Darwin has often challenged societal norms, but nonetheless, defended the idea of evolution to the best of his abilities.
Extinction, in comparison to the idea of adapting to ones surroundings, plays just as large a role in social Darwinism as anything else. By introducing the element of chance into his model of evolution, and supplanting divine intervention as the primary force in the creation of life, Darwin posed a direct challenge to the prevailing religious thoughts in society both then and now. Darwin explains, “As one adaptation of extinction discredits the belief that god creates perfect beings and as that variation begins to propagate, the original, less advantageous variant will die off.” Darwin saw extinction as ordinary and as necessary to evolutionary change. Still, the degree to which extinction is fundamental to social Darwinism is crucial when proving that species gradually evolve over time from a single, simple common ancestor. Sociology and the development, structure, and functionality of human society can link back in part to The Origin of Species.
Darwin’s novel has educated humanity on many issues in regards to the natural world and contributes to modern intellectual history through his many ideas and theories about natural selection. However, there are many arguments about natural selection in regards to people who do not take the theory of evolution as a proven science. In today’s society, many individuals believe in Creationism or that God assisted in evolution.
In Darwin's The Origin of Species, the concept of survival of the fittest originated from the principal of natural selection giving meaning to modern day biology. This principal describes the idea that only traits that already work are genetically passed to future generations. Many colleagues of Darwin attributed their success in the field of biology to The Origin of Species. In the book Principals of Biology author Herbert Spencer indicates that, “This survival of the fittest, which I have here sought to express in mechanical terms, is that which Mr. Darwin has called 'natural selection', or the preservation of favored races in the struggle for life.” Darwin’s contribution to early biology states that the theory of natural selection proposes that variation is a long drawn out process. If an archeologist were to find the remains of a primitive human from thousands of years ago, there would be little or no difference between its present day human remains. Darwin soon came to the idea that, “the only reason we have not yet found an intermediary is that we have not yet dug deep enough.” Darwin not only presented his theory, presented the arguments, and defended himself against those arguments, but also proposed a simple yet basic idea that laid the framework for modern biology.
It is in the defense of modern persecution that Darwin and his ideas truly contribute to modern thought and Social Darwinism. Still in many states, the stance on: whether or not to include evolution and natural selection in the public school curriculum as an alternative explanation to creationism remains a relevant issue. Natural selection not only involves humanity, but all species as a whole. Within natural selection, a parent does not pass its genetic information and its beneficial variance to only one of its offspring; it passes it to all of them. Therefore if it is beneficial to the community of a particular species to pass along the variation. For a specie to continue to exist it must make sure it produces more offspring that will inevitably survive or face extinction. It is also important for the species to stager at such a rate as to allow for variance, for it is variance that will ultimately allow the animal to exist comfortably in his surroundings. In his studies, Darwin said, “…if any one species does not become modified and improved in a corresponding degree with its competitors, it will soon be exterminated.” For decades, there has been an ongoing debate in the United States regarding how public schools can best teach about the origins and development of species and natural selection. It is within Darwin’s work that one can truly see the importance of the incorporation of evolution into the education system throughout the entire country.
Charles Darwin changed how man see and think. Against all odds, he had created The Origin of Species providing a new interpretation on life, and formed new beliefs among men, that questioned for many years to come. Darwin's, The Origin of Species has influenced society through ways of Social Darwinism, implementing controversial topics within the modern educational system, discrediting religion, and becoming the basis for the field of biology. Everything involving life has a much deeper meaning and was created through different ways of natural selection. Even though Darwin left this world, he started a revolutionary way of thinking and learning. Science and modern thought will forever be different because of his research and findings. Darwin defined the perspective of life, showing a new, escalated way of theory.
The Origin of Species describes how specific beings will change to fit a particular environment throughout that species existence serving as a starting point of modern biology.
Evolution as stated in Darwin’s novel the decent of man and selection in relation to sex states, “evolution is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits allowing an organism to better adapt to its environment and in turn allowing specific species to survive and have more offspring.” By discovering the theory of evolution, Darwin was able to explain why species gain certain genetic edges over its predators. Allowing the animal to have increased chances of procreation or adaptation. The beneficial variance or change provides the advantage for generations after, the trait then becomes passed on to other animals of the same species in their offspring. Darwin’s idea of evolution within the animal kingdom soon shifted in the direction of human
beings.
The theory of evolution is not limited to inheritable and beneficial variations of a species, but goes into the great discussion of creationism itself. For instance, Darwin often combated intelligent design in his papers and novels regarding biological origins. Darwin describes individual organisms in regards to being “created” from scratch either naturally or divinely. After much research in the field of evolution, Darwin was able to conclude that this unwieldy contrivance would be a very odd way of designing an opposable digit. To support such an argument he states,
“Whether by natural selection or a Lamarckian “need” that expresses itself as an inheritable change, or by a God who likes to tinker with established organisms rather than make new ones from scratch, the conclusion is the same: the Panda’s thumb is a contrivance, and therefore evidence that evolution – modification of an earlier species to form a new one – occurred.”
A panda’s thumb is a complicated structure that no other bear has included in the skeletal structure to serve primarily as a universal joint, used for grasping bamboo. They use this bone in the same way humans use their thumbs, mainly for grasping food. Darwin often criticized religion and the idea of intelligent design to better identify the imperfections in species. The relevance of intelligent design is still a contemporary challenge many educational systems face in America today and will most likely remain controversial for years to come. One of the strongest disputes presented to Charles Darwin is the evolutionary processes used to explain human vision. The formation of such organs of extreme complication through ways of evolution proved to be a challenge for Darwin. In The Origin of Species, Darwin pays particular attention to this question. The eye in Darwin’s mind is an optic nerve that uses a complex series of lenses in order to bend light in such a way that in turn projects such an image onto the optic lens, which in turn, allows the brain to make sense of the image. During Darwin’s life man was incapable of understanding the concept behind the eye. To understand the origin of any organ of extreme perfection Darwin found it necessary to trace the lineage of the animal to a primitive ancestor. As Darwin states in The Origin of Species,
“To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree, but evolution finds a way”
After years of research on the topic of evolution and natural selection, Darwin’s defense of the eye were of such complexity that society could not comprehend the idea that a thing as perfect as the eye has been developed not created. Darwin’s theory of evolution and the eye created a large hole that not only discredited his work, but also lost much credibility in relation to the public and the scientific community due to its complexity. During the late eighteenth century, Darwin with the limited knowledge at hand was able to answer these very difficult questions with nothing but theory and research to back his findings. Darwin has often challenged societal norms, but nonetheless, defended the idea of evolution to the best of his abilities.
Extinction, in comparison to the idea of adapting to ones surroundings, plays just as large a role in social Darwinism as anything else. By introducing the element of chance into his model of evolution, and supplanting divine intervention as the primary force in the creation of life, Darwin posed a direct challenge to the prevailing religious thoughts in society both then and now. Darwin explains, “As one adaptation of extinction discredits the belief that god creates perfect beings and as that variation begins to propagate, the original, less advantageous variant will die off.” Darwin saw extinction as ordinary and as necessary to evolutionary change. Still, the degree to which extinction is fundamental to social Darwinism is crucial when proving that species gradually evolve over time from a single, simple common ancestor. Sociology and the development, structure, and functionality of human society can link back in part to The Origin of Species.
Darwin’s novel has educated humanity on many issues in regards to the natural world and contributes to modern intellectual history through his many ideas and theories about natural selection. However, there are many arguments about natural selection in regards to people who do not take the theory of evolution as a proven science. In today’s society, many individuals believe in Creationism or that God assisted in evolution.
In Darwin's The Origin of Species, the concept of survival of the fittest originated from the principal of natural selection giving meaning to modern day biology. This principal describes the idea that only traits that already work are genetically passed to future generations. Many colleagues of Darwin attributed their success in the field of biology to The Origin of Species. In the book Principals of Biology author Herbert Spencer indicates that, “This survival of the fittest, which I have here sought to express in mechanical terms, is that which Mr. Darwin has called 'natural selection', or the preservation of favored races in the struggle for life.” Darwin’s contribution to early biology states that the theory of natural selection proposes that variation is a long drawn out process. If an archeologist were to find the remains of a primitive human from thousands of years ago, there would be little or no difference between its present day human remains. Darwin soon came to the idea that, “the only reason we have not yet found an intermediary is that we have not yet dug deep enough.” Darwin not only presented his theory, presented the arguments, and defended himself against those arguments, but also proposed a simple yet basic idea that laid the framework for modern biology.
It is in the defense of modern persecution that Darwin and his ideas truly contribute to modern thought and Social Darwinism. Still in many states, the stance on: whether or not to include evolution and natural selection in the public school curriculum as an alternative explanation to creationism remains a relevant issue. Natural selection not only involves humanity, but all species as a whole. Within natural selection, a parent does not pass its genetic information and its beneficial variance to only one of its offspring; it passes it to all of them. Therefore if it is beneficial to the community of a particular species to pass along the variation. For a specie to continue to exist it must make sure it produces more offspring that will inevitably survive or face extinction. It is also important for the species to stager at such a rate as to allow for variance, for it is variance that will ultimately allow the animal to exist comfortably in his surroundings. In his studies, Darwin said, “…if any one species does not become modified and improved in a corresponding degree with its competitors, it will soon be exterminated.” For decades, there has been an ongoing debate in the United States regarding how public schools can best teach about the origins and development of species and natural selection. It is within Darwin’s work that one can truly see the importance of the incorporation of evolution into the education system throughout the entire country.
Charles Darwin changed how man see and think. Against all odds, he had created The Origin of Species providing a new interpretation on life, and formed new beliefs among men, that questioned for many years to come. Darwin's, The Origin of Species has influenced society through ways of Social Darwinism, implementing controversial topics within the modern educational system, discrediting religion, and becoming the basis for the field of biology. Everything involving life has a much deeper meaning and was created through different ways of natural selection. Even though Darwin left this world, he started a revolutionary way of thinking and learning. Science and modern thought will forever be different because of his research and findings. Darwin defined the perspective of life, showing a new, escalated way of theory.