The History of Creation, Volume One

by Ernst Haeckel

Ernst Heinrich Haeckel (1834-1919) had an expansive collection of interests: embryology, comparative anatomy, marine biology, philosophy, medicine, and illustrative art. However, Haeckel's career was solidified upon reading "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection" by Charles Darwin. He became a champion for the theory of evolution, and a professor of zoology at the University of Jena. Despite a position of prestige in the 19th century scientific community, Haeckel's works were not without controversy. He favored a belief in spontaneous generation: that organic life can arise from inorganic matter; and, his Biogenetic Law - embryological development (ontogeny) recapitulates adult stages of organisms from which it evolved (phylogeny) - has since become a biological myth. In "The History of Creation", Ernst Haeckel presents his views on his peers and their doctrines - often reverent, sometimes scathing - and his scientific perspectives of life on earth. "The History of Creation" was originally published as two volumes in 1880; however, it is often reprinted as a single unabridged volume. Now, Briar Bird Press is offering a return to the original two volume set. Volume I of "The History of Creation" is the fifth entry in the Foundations in Biological Thought series; volume II will be available as Foundations in Biological Thought, no. 7. The series presents the pivotal works of 19th century naturalists remastered for modern readers. Meticulously edited, these volumes preserve the author's intent in design and content, including the manuscript's original annotations and amendments. In addition, revised page references and editor's notes are included throughout to retain the utility of the works for both study and reference.

Genres: Science

238 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2007

About the author

Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (February 16, 1834 – August 9, 1919), also written von Haeckel, was an eminent German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor and artist who discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms, and coined many terms in biology, including anthropogeny, ecology, phylum, phylogeny, stem cell, and the kingdom Protista. Haeckel promoted and popularized Charles Darwin's work in Germany and developed the controversial recapitulation theory ("ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny") claiming that an individual organism's biological development, or ontogeny, parallels and summarizes its species' evolutionary development, or phylogeny.

The published artwork of Haeckel includes over 100 detailed, multi-colour illustrations of animals and sea creatures (see: Kunstformen der Natur, "Art Forms of Nature"). As a philosopher, Ernst Haeckel wrote Die Welträtsel (1895–1899, in English, The Riddle of the Universe, 1901), the genesis for the term "world riddle" (Welträtsel); and Freedom in Science and Teaching to support teaching evolution.