Darwin, Charles (1809–1882)

Charles Robert Darwin is one of the greatest naturalists who ever lived. He was not only the father of evolution but also a remarkable scientist whose ideas and discoveries about the earth's history resulted in new areas for ongoing research in geology, paleontology, biology, and anthropology. His contributions to science, particularly concerning organic evolution, were possible because he would eventually embrace the vast temporal framework that was being argued for in the emerging disciplines of historical geology and comparative paleontology. Taking both time and change seriously was crucial for the young Darwin, as it resulted in his rejecting the fixity of species and, instead, accepting the mutability of life forms throughout the biological history of this planet.

Darwin's intellectual life evolved from his being a part-time naturalist, interested especially in geology, to his becoming a full-time scientist devoted primarily to biology. He developed a comprehensive orientation in geobiology, and his life was a long series of fortuitous coincidences that collectively propelled him to make major discoveries in the natural sciences. Whether speculating on the formation of coral reefs or reflecting on the similarities between the human species and the apes, Darwin came to see both geological structures and biological forms slowly changing due to the influences of natural forces on them over immense periods of time. His conceptual revolution of organic evolution also challenged the entrenched ideas of Aristotelian philosophy and the dogmatic beliefs of Thomistic theology. Consequently, as a result of Darwin's dynamic worldview, the modern thinker would never again see the earth, life forms, or humankind itself in terms of eternal fixity.

Figure: Charles Darwin at his home at Down House, Downe, Kent, United Kingdom, circa 1880

Source: HIP/Art Resource, NY.