Buckets From An English Sea: 1832 And The Making Of Charles Darwin
by Louis B. Rosenblatt /
2018 / English / PDF
15 MB Download
Darwin did not discover evolution. He didn't trip over it on the
way to somewhere else the way Columbus discovered the New World.
Like the atom, planetary orbits, and so many other scientific
constructs, evolution was invented in order to explain striking
phenomena. And it has been most successful. A century and a half
has not simply confirmed Darwin's work, it has linked evolution to
the mechanisms of life on the molecular scale. It is what life
does. Where Darwin had drawn his theories from forest and field, we
now set them in the coiling and uncoiling of twists of DNA, linking
where they might, with a host of molecular bits and pieces
scurrying about.
Darwin did not discover evolution. He didn't trip over it on the
way to somewhere else the way Columbus discovered the New World.
Like the atom, planetary orbits, and so many other scientific
constructs, evolution was invented in order to explain striking
phenomena. And it has been most successful. A century and a half
has not simply confirmed Darwin's work, it has linked evolution to
the mechanisms of life on the molecular scale. It is what life
does. Where Darwin had drawn his theories from forest and field, we
now set them in the coiling and uncoiling of twists of DNA, linking
where they might, with a host of molecular bits and pieces
scurrying about.
Darwin, himself, however, has been a closed story. A century and a
half of study of the man and his work, including close readings of
his books, his notebooks and letters, and even the books he read,
has led to a working appreciation of his genius. The 'success' of
this account has, however, kept us from seeing several important
issues: most notably, why did he pursue evolution in the first
place?
Darwin, himself, however, has been a closed story. A century and a
half of study of the man and his work, including close readings of
his books, his notebooks and letters, and even the books he read,
has led to a working appreciation of his genius. The 'success' of
this account has, however, kept us from seeing several important
issues: most notably, why did he pursue evolution in the first
place?Buckets from an English Sea
Buckets from an English Sea offers a new view of what
inspired Darwin and provoked his work. Stunning events early in the
voyage of the
offers a new view of what
inspired Darwin and provoked his work. Stunning events early in the
voyage of theBeagle
Beagle challenged his deeply held conviction
that people are innately good. This study of 1832 highlights the
resources available to the young Darwin as he worked to secure
humanity's innate goodness.
challenged his deeply held conviction
that people are innately good. This study of 1832 highlights the
resources available to the young Darwin as he worked to secure
humanity's innate goodness.
