charles_darwin

Darwin, Darwinism, and Evolution in the Twentieth Century
Episcopal bishop of Newark between 1976 and 2000, ‘‘we are living
in a post-Darwinian world.’’ 11 Both men were drawing attention to
the profound significance of Darwin’s theory. Although descent by
modification would not be the foundation of the theory of evolution
without the work of many scientists, the man who proposed the idea
must receive the appropriate credit. In the twentieth century, the
connection between genetics and evolution would not be complete
without the work of Rosalind Franklin (1920–1958), Francis Crick
(1916–2004), and James Watson (1928–) on the structure of DNA.
Measuring the age of the Earth in billions rather than a few million
years would not have been possible without the research on light
and relativity by Albert Einstein (1879–1955) and Henri Poincare
(1854–1912). The whole community of scientists, not just biologists
or naturalists, was responsible for working out the details of the
theory of evolution in the twentieth century. No individual can claim
preeminence for his or her contribution. All were vital. However,
Darwin deserves a position of prominence among these scientists
because it was his work that stimulated so much of the scientific
research and writing on evolution in the twentieth century.
Darwin’s legacy was that his ideas in The Origin of Species were
still being debated and applied. Sometimes these discussions resulted
in developments that would be repudiated later in the century—the
Eugenics Movement, for example. For some in the twentieth century,
Darwin’s ideas could not be reconciled with their beliefs, and they
continued to oppose evolution. In other developments, scientists
seemed to be finding ways for humans to better understand themselves
and their surroundings. The work of ecologists, sociobiologists,
and evolutionary psychologists led to a recognition that
humankind should recognize itself as part of nature rather than the
lord of nature. As the many reactions to his work demonstrated,
Darwin and The Origin of Species were among the major topics of
debate in the twentieth century.
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Notes
1. Edward J. Larson, Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s
Continuing Debate over Science and Religion (New York: Basic Books,
1997), 3–8.
2. Vernon Faithfull Storr, Freedom and Tradition: A Study of Liberal
Evangelicalism (London: Nisbet and Co. Ltd., 1940), 1230–1231.
3. William Jennings Bryan, In His Image (New York: Fleming H.
Revell Company, 1922), 88.