Charles Darwin

A great naturalist:

Andrew SCOTT

Many people throughout the world are aware of the existence of the Theory of Evolution but only a few are aware of the life and activities of the man behind it - Charles Darwin who was born exactly 200 years ago on February 12, 1809 to a wealthy and distinguished English family.

The 5th child in a family of 6, he was 8 years old when his beloved mother died and young Charles was brought up with the love and affection of his father and elder sisters to whom he was greatly attached.

Few books have been greeted with a storm of controversy as much as the ‘Origin of Species’ in which Charles Darwin set forth his controversial theory of Natural Selection as a means of evolution.

When he propounded this new theory, the entire civilised world was shocked to know details incorporated in it and it also shocked the clergy who ardently believed in the idea of creation as opposed to Darwin’s new found theory of evolution and today the name of Charles Darwin continues to live in the theory of evolution which has inspired the findings of many modern scientists interested in the gradual evolution of man, plants and animals.

Charles Darwin’s Principles of Natural Selection which he outlined in the ‘Origin of Species’ turned out to be something that could be convincingly proved by mere observation and experiment.

His father and grandfather were both doctors and they desired to groom young Charles too to take up to the medical profession which was held in very high esteem specially during their time.

However, medicine had no appeal for him and it is said that anatomy disgusted him and to him even the operating theatre was a chamber of horrors. Thus giving up the study of medicine he wanted to enter the church but eventually he turned to the study of nature - a subject near and dear to his heart.

School Days

From his school days he had a passion for collecting various items of interest and this helped him very much to mould himself as a great naturalist in his adult life. About his school days Charles Darwin wrote: “By the time I went to school my taste for natural history, and more specially for collecting, was well developed.

I tried to make out the names of plants, and collected all sorts of things - shells, seals, franks, coins and minerals. The passion for collecting which leads a man to be a systematic naturalist, was very strong in me and were clearly innate. None of my sisters or brother ever had this taste.”

One of his pet hobbies was collecting beetles of various shapes, colours and sizes and doing a scientific study of them. About his life in the University of Cambridge from where he earned a degree he says: “No pursuit at Cambridge was followed with nearly so much eagerness or gave me so much pleasure as collecting beetles.

It was the mere passion for collecting, for I did not dissect them, and rarely compared their external characters with published descriptions, but got them named anyhow.” One of his best friends was Henslow, a Professor of Botany, who secured for Charles Darwin, an appointment as the naturalist to the Beagle expedition assigned to survey the South American coast.

Charles Darwin joined the expedition as its naturalist and he was so engrossed in his research work that he consented to work without pay.

This expedition lasted for five years and in addition to the survey of the South American coast, the Beagle visited several other countries. It was on this expedition that his mind turned to the theory of evolution.

Writing on the voyage of the Beagle, Charles Darwin says: “The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life and has determined my whole career. I have always felt that I owe to the voyage the first real training or education of my mind. I was led to attend closely to several branches of natural history and thus my powers of observation were improved, though they were always fairly developed.”

Origin of Species

The Origin of Species was published in 1859 and it is stated that the whole edition of 1,250 copies was sold out on the very day of publication.

This itself is evidence enough to prove the great interest in the theory of evolution. Charles Darwin was also a Botanist of repute and he authored ‘The Fertilisation of Orchids’ (1862) and ‘Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication’ (1868). Later he wrote the ‘Descent of Man’ (1871) suggesting the link between man and chimpanzees, oranutans and the gorillas. He also wrote ‘Expressions of the Emotions in Man and Animals’ (1872).

It is mentioned that in his retired life he cherished reading novels. He lived a full life dedicating himself to a proper study of mankind and died in 1882 and the whole civilised world mourned the death of this great human being who, through his singular efforts, solved the riddle of the evolution of man.

Human species

The evolutionary Biologist, Richard Dawkins, author of ‘The God Delusion’ says: “To my mind the most important thinker the human species has ever produced is Charles Darwin.” It is also very interesting to note that in a recent report published in London Prof. Paul Ekman, a leading scholar of human emotions, mentions that Charles Darwin’s views on human compassion and morality are strikingly similar to those held by the Buddhists.

He says that the words used by Darwin are identical to those used by Tibetan Buddhists, to describe compassion and morality.

The bicentenary (200 years) of Charles Darwin’s birth was celebrated throughout the world and his unique status as one of the greatest scientists and researchers the world has ever seen was discussed in academic circles in several countries including Sri Lanka. But the question yet to be answered is will the world ever produce another scientist of the calibre of Charles Darwin?