Monday, October 18, 2010

Week #1- Historical Influences on Darwin: BACKGROUND

  1. I select Jean-Baptiste Lamarckian for he had a similar positive influence on Darwin’s development of his theory of Natural selection.
  2. Lamarck  wrote Philosophie zoologique. He also was considered by most, including Charles Darwin , as a great zoologist and as a forerunner of evolution.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/lamarck.html
  1. The bullet points to which Lamark’s ideas landed closely to Darwin’s would be:
-Individuals do not evolve. Populations do.

Larmak stated in 1801 “ time and favorable conditions are the two principal means which nature has employed in giving existence to all her productions. We know that for her time has no limit, and consequently she always has it at her disposal.”
This solidifies Darwin’s theories that traits passed on over time will change and evolve. I feel this would be positive effect on Darwin.
  1. I feel Darwin could have developed his theory of natural selection without the influence and ideas of Jean-Baptiste Lamark.
  2. Darwin even stated that the first parents of Man were created by God. The Catholic Church didn’t except Origin of Species for many decade because of the literal teachings and interpretation on Genesis. Darwin I feel wasn’t affected too much because he believed his own theories and therefore brushed away criticism and hash attitudes.
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5 comments:

  1. AlenOctober 21, 2010 at 10:48 PM

    In researching the topic, I found it very interesting that Darwin would say the first humans came from god, when he conduerd the idea of everything evolving from a single source. I agree with you in when you mention that Darwin never needed any outside influence for his theory, as he himself believed his idea would change societies, perception on the way of life.

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  2. MikeeezGrlOctober 22, 2010 at 2:30 PM

    Hey Ashton,

    I totally agree with you about Darwin not being affected by the churches due to the fact that he still proceeded with his work. I also think Darwin could have developed his theory without any influence from anyone. I chose Lamarck as you did. I felt Lamarck had the closest idea to Darwin's theories of evolution.

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  3. DanielQ5October 22, 2010 at 7:48 PM

    I like darwin and his whole discovery of natural selection, I feel like he was gifted and knew alot about it. Darwin proved his theory but Jean-Baptiste was pretty the same level as him they both were natauralist and viewed similar things.

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  4. KBarryOctober 23, 2010 at 2:09 PM

    I believe Charles Darwin was influenced by many. For me I personally believed he was most influenced by Thomas Malthus. Darwin was an incredible scientist and I agree with you that he could have discovered his theory of Natural Selection without the help of others.

    - Kelly Morales-Barry

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  5. L RodriguezOctober 23, 2010 at 11:45 PM

    I would have liked to have seen an actual explanation of Lamarck's key work in #2.

    Regarding the influence of the church, Darwin was actually in mental agony for two decades over the publish-or-not-to-publish question before he was pushed into presenting his work when Wallace developed the identical concept of natural selection.

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