Q&A Darwin by Peter J. Bowler

by Peter J. Bowler

Darwin is one of the most controversial scientists of all time. His 1859 book On the Origin of Species, written after a five-year evidence-gathering voyage on HMS Beagle, with a famous stopover in the Galapagos, persuaded scientists that they had to take seriously the claim that all living things have evolved by natural causes from previously existing types. Moreover, he proposed the mechanism of natural selection, in which populations change according to trial and error.

The theory renders the Genesis story of Creation, and indeed the whole idea of a wise and benevolent Designer, questionable. There seems to be little room here for the immortal soul or transcendent moral values. Whilst materialists and atheists welcome this liberation from the shackles of ancient superstition, some religious believers accuse Darwin of teaching us to behave like animals and thereby undermining the moral foundations of society.

We are still living with – and arguing about – the consequences of Darwin’s commitment to the truths uncovered by investigative science. This book ranges widely over his background, his travels, his discoveries, his lectures and teachings, and his personal life.

Genres: Biology, Science

Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Peter J. Bowler, FBA, is a historian of biology who has written extensively on the history of evolutionary thought, the history of the environmental sciences, and on the history of genetics.

Reviews

[Deniz Cem Önduygu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Darwin is number one on my list of dead people I'd want to have a chat with. This book offers a nice, easy-to-read fictional dialogue with him covering his life, theory and personal thoughts. However, since it's directed at a general audience and has to have "a solid basis in biographical fact", it is much less ambitious and interesting than the dialogues I dream I have with the man. For instance, I'd love to get his thoughts on the selfish gene perspective, on memetics and on evolutionary algorithm softwares, though I realize that it's hard to make up his thoughts on these specific subjects in a book like this – hard but maybe not impossible, since Bowler does tell Darwin about things like modern genetics or Social Darwinism and get his fictional opinion.

You won't learn much from this book if you've read the Origin and his Autobiographies; it would be a nice short introduction to Darwin and his theory if you haven't.

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief but interesting conjecture and quite a novel idea. Though I understand now that Gabriel Dover may have done something similarly speculative in Dear mr Darwin.