2. ‘Darwin’s theory of natural selection sent out shock waves which impacted on many aspects of Victorian and Edwardian society’. To what extent is this an accurate description of the period?
3. The question itself ask for opinion on how much of an influence Charles Darwin had during the Victorian and Edwardian era . This does not ask about his work during this time but rather the impact and reactions that society took from his numerous works in the field of transmutation and Gods place within this theory. The question is certainly unambiguous as Darwin’s work clearly made an impact on both higher society and lower class individuals. I cannot disagree with the premise of this question, though previous works were completed before Darwin’s …show more content…
I will briefly explain how previous groundworks of evolutionary theory predated the Edwardian and Victorian era’s and had opened up society’s mind to the context of evolution and the main theory’s that came before which set the backdrop for Darwin’s work, for this I will use authors such as Jean Baptiste Lamarck, Erasmus Darwin and Pierre – Louis Maupertuis. I will then look at the debate society faced in regards to man’s place in nature and how people from all walks of life reacted to this. I will finally conclude with the how the theory of natural selection altered social perceptions and caused shockwaves throughout the subsequent century’s causing some people to no longer accept the literal truth of the …show more content…
The primary sources I have used to back up my conclusion and counter arguments are from sources that were created at the time my work is focussing on, the secondary sources are documents recorded after the fact that relate to or discuss primary source.
Here is bibliography of the primary and secondary sources that will be used in my essay: -
Chambers, Robert. Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. London: J. Churchill, 1853. Print. (Primary Source)
Darwin, Charles, On the Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1st edn (London: John Murray, Albermarle Street, 1859). (Primary Source)
Darwin, C. R. 1871. The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. Volume 1. 1st edition. (Primary Source)
English-heritage.org.uk. (2017). Victorians: Religion | English Heritage. [online] Available at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/victorian/religion/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2017]. (Secondary Source)
Himmelfarb, Gertrude. Darwin and the Darwinian Revolution. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1959. (Secondary Source)
Scotland, N. (2017). Darwin and Doubt and the Response of the Victorian Churches. [online] Church Society.org. Available at: http://churchsociety.org/docs/churchman/100/Cman_100_4_Scotland.pdf [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. (Secondary
3. The question itself ask for opinion on how much of an influence Charles Darwin had during the Victorian and Edwardian era . This does not ask about his work during this time but rather the impact and reactions that society took from his numerous works in the field of transmutation and Gods place within this theory. The question is certainly unambiguous as Darwin’s work clearly made an impact on both higher society and lower class individuals. I cannot disagree with the premise of this question, though previous works were completed before Darwin’s …show more content…
I will briefly explain how previous groundworks of evolutionary theory predated the Edwardian and Victorian era’s and had opened up society’s mind to the context of evolution and the main theory’s that came before which set the backdrop for Darwin’s work, for this I will use authors such as Jean Baptiste Lamarck, Erasmus Darwin and Pierre – Louis Maupertuis. I will then look at the debate society faced in regards to man’s place in nature and how people from all walks of life reacted to this. I will finally conclude with the how the theory of natural selection altered social perceptions and caused shockwaves throughout the subsequent century’s causing some people to no longer accept the literal truth of the …show more content…
The primary sources I have used to back up my conclusion and counter arguments are from sources that were created at the time my work is focussing on, the secondary sources are documents recorded after the fact that relate to or discuss primary source.
Here is bibliography of the primary and secondary sources that will be used in my essay: -
Chambers, Robert. Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. London: J. Churchill, 1853. Print. (Primary Source)
Darwin, Charles, On the Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1st edn (London: John Murray, Albermarle Street, 1859). (Primary Source)
Darwin, C. R. 1871. The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray. Volume 1. 1st edition. (Primary Source)
English-heritage.org.uk. (2017). Victorians: Religion | English Heritage. [online] Available at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/victorian/religion/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2017]. (Secondary Source)
Himmelfarb, Gertrude. Darwin and the Darwinian Revolution. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1959. (Secondary Source)
Scotland, N. (2017). Darwin and Doubt and the Response of the Victorian Churches. [online] Church Society.org. Available at: http://churchsociety.org/docs/churchman/100/Cman_100_4_Scotland.pdf [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. (Secondary